texas fish & game january 2016

January 2016$3.95

Water Toys:Best Boats forGirls and Boys

Match the Hatchfor Big Trout

Hog Cams:Feral GiantsCaught on Camera

GoingDeep forWinter Blues

SmartTactics forSmarterGeese

ShowTime:Whatever FloatsYour Boat

THE TEXAS OUTDOOR AUTHORITY

RainRainTHETHE

RainTHE

RainEFFECTEFFECT

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www.FishGame.comPublished by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC.

TEXAS FISH & GAME is the largest independent,family-owned outdoor publication in America.

Owned by Ron & Stephanie Ward and Roy & Ardia Neves.

ROY NEVESPUBLISHER

CHESTER MOOREEDITOR IN CHIEF

C O N T R I B U T O R S

JOE DOGGETT • SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR DOUG PIKE • SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR TED NUGENT • EDITOR AT LARGE LOU MARULLO • HUNTING EDITOR MATT WILLIAMS • FRESHWATER EDITOR

CALIXTO GONZALES • SALTWATER EDITOR LENNY RUDOW • BOATING EDITOR STEVE LAMASCUS • FIREARMS EDITOR DUSTIN ELLERMANN • SHOOTING EDITOR KENDAL HEMPHILL • POLITICAL COMMENTATOR WILL LESCHPER • CONSERVATION EDITOR REAVIS WORTHAM • HUMOR EDITOR TOM BEHRENS • CONTRIBUTING EDITOR GREG BERLOCHER • CONTRIBUTING EDITOR PAUL BRADSHAW • CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CAPT. MIKE HOLMES • CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

DUSTIN WARNCKE • CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

STAN SKINNER • COPY EDITOR LISA MOORE • CONTRIBUTING PHOTO EDITOR JOHN GISEL • STRATEGIC ADVISOR

A D V E R T I S I N G

ARDIA NEVESVICE PRESIDENT/ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

LARRY DALTON • ADVERTISING COORDINATOR 1745 GREENS ROAD HOUSTON, TX 77032 PHONE: (281) 227-3001 • FAX (281) 227-3002

EMAIL: [email protected]

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S U B S C R I P T I O N S1745 GREENS ROAD, HOUSTON, TX 77032

PHONE (800) 725-1134TEXAS FISH & GAME (ISSN 0887-4174) is published monthly by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC., 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. ©Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. All rights reserved. Content is not to be reprinted or other-wise reproduced without written permission. The publication assumes no responsibil-ity for unsolicited photographs and manuscripts. Subscription rates: 1 year $19.00: 2 years $34.75; 3 years $48.50. Address all subscription inquiries to Texas Fish & Game, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for response. Give old and new address and enclose latest mailing address label when writing about your subscription. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Address all subscription inquiries to TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Email change of address to: [email protected] Email new orders to: [email protected] Email subscription questions to: [email protected].

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2 | J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E ®


FEATURES

BOATS FOR YOUNG ANGLERSFrom kayaks to jon boats, there are many options available for young anglers, many of whom are already saddled with student debt.

by TF&G Staff

SMART TACTICS FOR SMARTER GEESEAs populations of snow geese continue to grow, the rising numbers of older geese with many seasons under their bills mean that hunters have to hunt a lot smarter to get their limits.

by John N. Felsher

36

44

Table ofContents

Table ofContents

Table of

HOG CAMWe put out the word for readers to send in trail cam photos of big hogs. Here are a few of the bigger specimens sam-pled from the large response we got.

by TF&G Readers

28

MATCH THE HATCHThat (literal) catch-phrase is especially appropriate when seeking big speckled trout in the chilled waters on the Texas Coast in winter.

by Chester Moore

24

JANUARY 2016Volume 32 • NO. 9

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

Winter Blues

48u The blue catfish is the largest freshwater gamefish in Texas, and

this is the best time of year to chase them in deep water.

Story by Marlin Stevens

Whatever Floats Your Boat

52u The new year means it’s a new season for boating—and for boat

shows. Here is a guide to smart shopping at the shows.

Story by Lenny Rudow

COVER STORY:The Rain Effect

20u Big rains hit many parts of Texas in 2015. This multi-part

series looks at what impact the new water will have on fishing.

Story and photo by Matt Williams

MATCH THE HATCHCOVER STORY:



A Talent-Rich Lineup

DEFINED BY OUR NAME, TEXAS FISH & GAME DOES not limit the scope of our coverage to saltwater fi shing, or trophy deer hunting, or just bass. We cover it all, and it takes a lot of tal-ent to do that kind of job well. Fortunately, we’ve got the talent.

Joe Doggett, arguably the Dean of Texas outdoor writers, anchored The Houston Chronicle’s award-winning outdoor desk for decades. Joe has been on our masthead for most of our 30-year history.

Another Chronicle outdoor alum, Doug Pike, has been a TF&G columnist for over ten years. He also currently hosts Houston’s top outdoor radio show.

Ted Nugent—who was not born in Texas, but got here as soon as he could—has been contributing his passionate and lyrical observations to TF&G since shortly after his arrival to the Lone Star State, in the early 2000s.

Our other outspoken opinionator, Poliitical Editor Kendal Hemphill, has won a case full of awards from regional and national organizations, many of them for the thoughtful commentaries he has contributed to these pages.

Matt Williams is another veteran Texas outdoor journalist whose name is familiar to anglers and hunters across the state. Matt has also been a member of our team almost from Day One.

Lenny Rudow, our Boating Editor, has a national reputation as one of the most knowledgeable boating writers in the business. After a long tenure as fi sh-ing editor at Boating Magazine, he brings TF&G readers a wealth of expertise, as well as a lively and entertaining writing style.

Handling our gun and shooting coverage are two extremely qualifi ed and talented writers. Steve LaMascus joined our staff more than a decade ago, after a distinguished career in law enforcement. A more recent addition to the team is Dustin Ellermann, the gifted shooter and dedicated educator who won season three of the History Channel’s Top Shot reality TV competition.

In the hunting arena, Lou Marullo brings a lifefi me of avid archery and gun hunting to his assignment. As for his creative credentials, he also fronts a heavy metal band that fi lls stadiums around the world.

Calixto Gonzales has been our Saltwater Editor since 2007. Relatively new to the industry when he joined our team, Cal has become a prolifi c contributor who has developed a loyal following.

As Humor Editor, Reavis Wortham has contributed almost two decades of fresh, funny and original stories in his Open Season columns. That he has become a successful novelist comes as no surprise to us.

Then there is our Editor in Chief. Chester Moore, Jr. came to us right out of college, but even then he was already a polished outdoor writer. Working up the ranks, he served as Saltwater Editor, Executive Editor and, fi nally, his cur-rent position. With Chester in command, TF&G’s content has soared.

These are just a few of our talented contributors. We hope to introduce you to more of them in future installments of this column.

Email Roy and Ardia Neves at ContactUs@fi shgame.com

by ROY and ARDIA NEVESTF&G Owners

InsideFISH & GAME

InsideInsideFISH & GAME

InsideFISH & GAME

EFINED BY OUR NAME, TEXAS FISH & GAME DOES not limit the scope of our coverage to saltwater fi shing, or trophy deer hunting, or just bass. We cover it all, and it takes a lot of tal-ent to do that kind of job well. Fortunately, we’ve got the talent.

ARDIA NEVES

FISH & GAMEFISH & GAME COLUMNS10 Editor’s Notes by Chester Moore TF&G Editor in Chief

14 Doggett at Large by Joe Doggett TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

16 Pike on the Edge by Doug Pike TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

18 Nugent in the Wild by Ted Nugent TF&G Editor At Large

19 Commentary by Kendal Hemphill TF&G Political Commentator

27 Texas Saltwater by Calixto Gonzales TF&G Saltwater Editor

35 Bare Bones Hunting by Lou Marullo TF&G Hunting Editor

56 Texas Freshwater by Matt Williams TF&G Freshwater Editor

57 Open Season by Reavis Wortham TF&G Freshwater Editor

58 Texas Boating by Lenny Rudow TF&G Boating Editor

62 Practical Angler by Paul Bradshaw TF&G Contributing Editor

64 Texas Guns by Steve LaMascus TF&G Firearms Editor

92 Texas Tasted by Bryan Slaven The Texas Gourmet

Contents (continued)


www.FishGame.com

by Kendal Hemphill

by Calixto Gonzales

Bare Bones

Texas Freshwater

8 LETTERS

12 TF&G REPORT

12 BIG BAGS & CATCHES

32 TEXAS DEPT. OF DEFENSE

40 TRUE GREEN

65 INDUSTRY INSIDER

68 FISH AND GAME GEAR

70 HOTSPOT FOCUS

78 TEXAS HOTSPOTS

86 TIDES & PRIME TIMES

94 TF&G PHOTOS

DEPARTMENTS


8 LETTERS

12 TF&G REPORT

12 BIG BAGS & CATCHES

32 TEXAS DEPT. OF DEFENSE

40 TRUE GREEN

65 INDUSTRY INSIDER

68 FISH AND GAME GEAR

70 HOTSPOT FOCUS

78 TEXAS HOTSPOTS

86 TIDES & PRIME TIMES

94 TF&G PHOTOS

DEPARTMENTS


LETTERS to the EditorLETTERS LETTERS LETTERS LETTERS LETTERS LETTERS to the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editorto the Editor

Things You Can’t UnseeI READ YOUR ARTICLE TITLED “Things you can’t Unsee.” I just wanted to let you know it was both moving and inspi-rational to me. It made me think of things I experienced in nature that I have not thought of in years.

My favorite times as a child were spent every summer camping with several family members on Lake Sam Raburn. As a child you don’t realize the greatness of what you see in nature. As sportsmen we get to see and experience things that a lot of people will never see and experience. If they only knew what they were missing—man oh man.

Thanks for reminding me of these things. Keep putting out the great articles and books. How about one on predator hunting in this great state of ours and one on prong-horns as well.

Thanks again,

J. W. Guillory

GREAT WORK ON “THINGS YOU Can’t Unsee.” It is refreshing to hear such a positive message in an outdoor publication. Thank you for doing what you do in Texas Fish and Game.

Leslie Gibbons

YOU ARE SO RIGHT ABOUT THE “Things You Can’t Unsee.” I can’t unsee the fi rst big buck I spotted on a hunt many years ago. I can’t unsee the look on my daughter’s face when she caught her fi rst croaker, and I can’t unsee every beautiful sunrise in the great outdoors. Thanks for the reminder!

Sam Levingston

Texas Monkeys?READER MIKE ODOM SUBMITTED this photo of a Japanese macaque on his deer

lease near Tilley. He said they show up on the property from time to time.

In 1995, while spending time in the thorn and cactus-fi lled wilds of South Texas, I heard a crazy story about a bowhunter who was startled by unusual loud cries coming from the creek bottom he was hunting.

As his adrenaline production went into overload, he pondered what might be mak-ing that sound and why it was coming his direction. The sounds got louder and louder, so he readied an arrow just in case.

Suddenly from out of the underbrush walked a large monkey.

It was a shocking sight for sure, but not the monster he had imagined.

A number of these monkeys were brought onto a property near Tilley back in the 1970s and there still exists a sanctuary there for them. Some of them escaped into the nearby brushlands over the years and

occasionally someone gets a glimpse of them.We’re glad Mike got a photo for us.Cool!


Send Your Comments to:

Texas Fish & Game1745 Greens RdHouston TX 77032

editor@fi shgame.com

1601 Letters.indd 8 12/7/15 7:42 PM

1601 Letters.indd 9 12/7/15 7:42 PM

In Search Of Monsters

THE BRUSH POPPED AS footfalls sounded in the forest.

As I fl ipped on my Generation 3 night vision goggles, a low grunt

sounded from the direction of the footfalls. Just down the narrow fi re lane was a large black blob headed my way.

As it got closer, it became obvious the blob was a hog, and it was not just any hog. It was a genuine monster.

A month earlier while driving by a high line right of way a half-mile away I saw a bunch of small hogs at a feeder. I stopped and pulled out my binoculars to get a better look.

A half dozen or so 50- to 60-pound hogs began running in circles and then fl ed the scene.

Out of the brush came what looked like a Buick. A wide, tall, long, black, furry Buick.

It was the biggest hog I had ever seen.Years earlier my father and I saw a giant

spotted hog crossing a dry creek bed in Burnet County. This one was bigger.

Now what I was pretty sure was the same hog was walking in my direction. I was positioned 40 feet up a tree in a climbing treestand so I was not too worried about get-ting busted, but the hog knew something was up. It came to the bait pile below for a few seconds and then turned before presenting an opportunity.

How big was this hog?Without exaggeration, it was in the 500

pound class. And I do not take that estima-tion lightly. Frequently, people post hog photos on social media, claiming their kills were 400-500 pounds when in reality those are usually 250-350 pounds.

And those are nothing to sneeze at.The biggest hog I have ever killed was

325 pounds, and it was taken about 12 years ago near Mason. A 300-pound hog is a huge animal.

In fact, the average adult black bear in the United States is around 300 pounds. For comparison the average grizzly which we think of as hulking monsters is in the 600-pound class. The hog I was looking at was 200 pounds larger than an average black bear and 100 pounds or less smaller than a typical grizzly.

In all the talk about hogs, this is some-thing that never gets addressed. In Texas and everywhere else that feral hogs roam, individuals larger than bears are roaming the woods. Burgeoning numbers of feral hogs have become synonymous with destruction of habitat. Some however have a burgeoning size issue.

In last month’s edition, I wrote about “Hogzilla” and other hogs that caused a media frenzy and which turned out to be domestic stock. In at least one case it was so domestic that it had a name and was put on the hunting ranch just before the hunter shot it.

What I am talking about now is hogs on free range—giant hogs—What I call “Monster Hogs.”

At Kingdom Zoo we have created a “Monster Hog” database at www.monster-hogs.com. The idea is to log as many giant hogs that are captured on game cameras and killed by hunters.

Some of the photos you will see are stunning. The bulk of the photos are from Texas. They show huge hogs from the Post Oak Savannah to the Pineywoods, and from the Rio Grande to the Oklahoma state line.

Truly big, mature boars are in my opin-ion one of the hardest game animals to kill with standard methods. Sure you can chase them with dogs, which is a dangerous and challenging proposition in its own right. Or you can employ thermal imaging scopes and night vision to snipe them in fi elds at night. Both are super cool.

However, if you were limited to methods for hunting whitetails, these monster hogs would be virtually impossible to kill on free range. Hunters routinely take big bucks they see on a game camera. How many can say they have been able to kill the truly big boars they see on the same camera?

These extremely wary creatures become nocturnal at the slightest sign of hunting pressure. Their propensity to travel great distances makes patterning them futile in most cases.

So, what is a monster hog?I call anything over 300 pounds, a big

hog; 400 plus pounders, giants; and any-thing 500 and above, monsters.

And they are if you think about it.An animal the size of a grizzly that has

giant, razor sharp tusks, is smarter than your hunting dog and has not only the abil-ity—but sometimes the will—to lash out, is a monster.

In the next few issues we will celebrate the pursuit of monster hogs with articles, tips and a celebration of big hogs killed by TFG readers and the ones they captured in photos on game cameras.

We will also be posting Kingdom Zoo TV segments featuring my personal pursuit of these monsters on fi lm. You can watch these on our Kingdom Zoo Roku Channel and get exclusive clips at fi shgame.com.

“Like” our Facebook page so you can get updates. Look for exclusive giveaways of autographed copies of my book Hog Wild and other cool hog related merchandise.

I have always been fascinated with mon-sters and there is no question some roam the dense thickets, expansive marshes and dark forests of Texas. We are now offi cially in search of them and will not stop until we get an up close and personal encounter with monster hogs.

Stay tuned. Things are about to get interesting.

Email Chester Moore atCMoore@fi shgame.com

by CHESTER MOORE :: TF&G Editor-in-Chief

EDITOR’S Notes


EDITOR’S EDITOR’S EDITOR’S EDITOR’S EDITOR’S EDITOR’S EDITOR’S EDITOR’S EDITOR’S EDITOR’S EDITOR’S EDITOR’S EDITOR’S

1601 EdNotes.indd 10 12/7/15 7:47 PM

1601 EdNotes.indd 11 12/9/15 1:11 PM

Fishing and Hunting Now a Constitutional Right in Texas LAST NOVEMBER, TEXAS VOTERS made an overwhelming decision to make fi shing and hunting a constitutional right.

Prop. 6 passed by a margin of 82 to 18 percent.

The Amendment to the state’s constitu-tion now reads.

“The people have the right to hunt, fi sh, and harvest wildlife, including by the use of traditional methods, subject to laws or regu-lations to conserve and manage wildlife and preserve the future of hunting and fi shing.”

“Hunting and fi shing

are preferred methods of managing and controlling wildlife.”

“This section does not affect any provi-sion of law relating to trespass, property rights, or eminent domain.”

“This section does not affect the power of

the legislature to authorize a municipality to regulate the discharge of a weapon in a pop-ulated area in the interest of public safety.”

• • •Toyota Bass Classic moves to Ray RobertsTHE 2016 TOYOTA TEXAS BASS Classic (TTBC) will celebrate its tenth anniversary in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex on May 20–22, 2016.

The fi shing competition will take place on Lake Ray Roberts, and Toyota Stadium in Frisco will host activities for the whole

family. Proceeds from the three-

day festival will continue BIG BAGS CATCHESfamily.

Proceeds from the three-day festival will continue BIG BAGS CATCHES

BISON

Bandera County

CUTBOW TROUT

Colorado

Aidan Flannery, 11, of Plano caught this 25 and ½-inch cutbow trout (a fertile hybrid between a rainbow trout and a cutthroat trout) while fi shing with his father Scott on a fl y rod in the North Fork of the South Platte River in Colorado.

Michael Ogles took down this bison on a hunt near Medina in Bandera County. He shot the buffalo with a Marlin 1895 in .45-70 Govt.

The TF G ReportTF GTF GTF GTF GTF G

are preferred methods of managing and

TF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF G Report Report Report Report ReportTF G ReportTF GTF G ReportTF GTF G ReportTF GTF G ReportTF GTF G ReportTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF GTF G

Visit FishGame.com to upload your Big Bags & Catches Photos and Vote for our next Winners

BIG BAGS CATCHESBIG BAGS CATCHES


“Prop. 6 passedby a margin of

82 to 18 percent.“

1601 Texas Report.indd 12 12/9/15 1:26 PM

to benefi t the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) youth fi shing and urban outreach programs, which have received $2.25 million since the TTBC event fi rst began in 2007.

“Toyota has been a proud supporter of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department since 2002, and we are excited to spot-light another great fi shery in the state of Texas through the TTBC,” said Katie Scallan, senior manager marketing, Gulf States Toyota.

“Toyota’s roots have been fi rmly planted in the great state of Texas since 1969 with the founding of Gulf States Toyota,” Scallan said. “For more than a decade, Tundras and Tacomas have been built at our manufacturing facility in San Antonio. Our roots have deepened since relocating our North American headquarters to Plano, and we look forward to continuing to pro-mote and support the many great resources Texas has to offer for many years to come.”

As host venue, Toyota Stadium will fea-ture a wide array of family-friendly activities held in conjunction with the event.

Fans can expect the return of the annual three-day star-studded lineup of country

music concerts, a large outdoor

consumer expo and numerous outdoor fam-ily activities-all held in addition to the fi shing action taking place at Lake Ray Roberts, one of the TPWD’s premier fi sheries .

“We are looking forward to celebrating the TTBC’s 10th anniversary in the City of Frisco at Toyota Stadium,” said Lenny Francoeur, TTBC’s tournament director.

“This world-class facility was built to host large-scale events and will provide an amaz-ing venue for TTBC fans and partners.”

Over the past nine years of the event’s history, the partnership between TTBC and TPWD has showcased some of the

best fi sheries that Texas has to offer while raising awareness of conservation efforts and funding the department’s youth fi shing and urban outreach programs.

“The TTBC has been key to TPWD’s efforts to increase fi shing opportunities in urban areas through its Neighborhood Fishin’ Program,” said Dave Terre, chief of research and management for TPWD’s Inland Fisheries Division.

“About 100,000 people a year benefi t from this program, and about 50,000 of those are new to fi shing,” Terre said. “The TTBC also supports a number of other conservation and outreach efforts aimed at involving more people in the outdoors.”

2015 TTBC Champion Brent Ehrler will join the 2016 TTBC fi eld alongside the top 15 in 2015 Angler of the Year points from both the FLW Tour and Bassmaster Elite Series, and fi ve chosen exemptions.

The 36 anglers will compete on Lake Ray Roberts over the three days, with the fi eld being reduced to the top10 for the fi nal round on Sunday, May 22.

“I love competing in Texas because their lakes are some of the healthiest and most productive in the country, thanks in large part to the efforts of TPWD,” stated 2015 TTBC champion Brent Ehrler. “I am excited to return to the Lone Star State and defend my TTBC title on Lake Ray Roberts in 2016.”

— From staff repots

Fans can expect the return of the annual three-day star-studded lineup of country

music concerts, a large outdoor

ing venue for TTBC fans and partners.”Over the past nine years of the event’s

history, the partnership between TTBC and TPWD has showcased some of the

MAHI MAHI

Sabine Pass

Abby, Ashlen & Cambree Carlos caught mahi-mahi, cobia and a limit of red snapper on their fi rst offshore trip, 70 mies out of Sabine Pass.

T E X A S F I S H & G A M E ® | J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | 13PHOTO: TPWD

1601 Texas Report.indd 13 12/9/15 1:26 PM


The Junction Monster

THE TEXAS WHITE-TAILED deer season opened the fourth of November; but, as far as I was concerned, it might as well have

been the Twelfth of Never.Such were my chances of going on a

hunt. During the fall of 1968, I had no connections, no keys to the private gates that have for generations dominated deer hunting across the Lone Star State.

That dismal prospect changed a week or so after the opener, when a school friend invited me to go with him to his family’s Hill Country lease near Junction. By “school” I mean college. I was 20 years old, a junior at the University of Houston.

I was ready to go deer hunting. I was equipped with a Sako Finnbear bolt-action .270 fi tted with a Redfi eld Widefi eld 4X scope. Also in the duffel were an impressive

green-and-yellow box of Remington 130-

grain cartridges, a Gerber fi xed-blade knife, a North Face down parka, a pair of El Cheapo binoculars, and a pair of dark green Browning lace-up boots with cool-looking heavy Vibram soles.

My resident hunting license had a white-tail buck tag ready to sign. With the possible exception of the fuzzy binoculars, I was, in the words of Big Foot Wallace, “armed and equipped as the law directs.”

We drove to the lease, arriving during the late afternoon. We had ample time to unpack in the weathered clapboard house, hop into a camp Jeep, and take a quick scouting drive. The day was cold and cloudy with occasional spittle of drizzle. We fl ushed a group of four or fi ve deer. They scattered with quick leaps and bounding white fl ags though the scrub. Game!

I was enthralled by the country, the rug-ged terrain of cedars and oaks and mesquites that gives Central Texas that undeniable beckoning to the hunt.

As we returned against darkness to the camp, friendly smoke curled from the chim-ney. Two additional guys had arrived and, through the camaraderie of hunting, we quickly bonded. The simple camp had a warm glow that night as we talked and cooked and tipped a few ice cubes. I looked around. The whole setup felt great—just as I imagined a deer camp would be.

“I’m going to put you in a box blind down by a little creek,” my friend said. “It’s one of our best spots. Don’t shoot a doe, but any antlered buck you see is legal.”

I unfurled my sleeping bag on a bunk bed, but I knew that signifi cant slumber would be hopeless. I was too excited.

I was awake when my friend prodded my bag, and the little camp stirred to life. We shared a quick breakfast and loaded into the Jeep and clattered into the dark pre-dawn chill. A

fi ne mist continued to blow, and the wind was sharp from the north. My friend

drove over a rocky ridge, down through a meandering valley and stopped near a sag-ging three-strand fence.

“Your box blind is several hundred yards that way,” he said, pointing at the fence. “I took the back way in, so you’ll have to walk. I didn’t want to drive through the prime area out front and bust any deer. Just follow the fence then start looking to your left. Good luck; I’ll pick you up about 10.”

I shouldered the rifl e and started walking as the tiny red lights winked away and disap-peared. Once alone, I felt a bit uneasy. The quiet, cold blackness “out there” became unnerving—and I’ll bet I’m not the only early hunter who has experienced that spooky sensation. I paced, fi guring the odds were at least 50/50 that the bogeyman would grab me. But, after about fi ve minutes, I spied the dark rectangle of the lonesome blind about 25 or 30 yards to the left.

I pulled, and the wooden door creaked open. I fumbled in the parka pockets and realized I had no fl ashlight—a rookie mis-take. Scrabbling fi ngers did fi nd a box of matches, a remnant from the porch cigar detail the night before. The fl eeting fl are revealed a folding chair and three open window ports. The boots felt heavy and a

downward fl ick confi rmed that the heavy “waffl e” soles were caked in mud

by JOE DOGGETT :: TF&G Contributing Editor

DOGGETT at Large

downward fl ick confi rmed that the heavy “waffl e” soles were caked in mud

cooked and tipped a few ice cubes. I looked around. The whole setup felt great—just as I imagined a deer camp would be.

“I’m going to put you in a box blind down by a little creek,” my friend said. “It’s one of our best spots. Don’t shoot a doe, but any antlered buck you see is legal.”

I unfurled my sleeping bag on a bunk bed, but I knew that signifi cant slumber would be hopeless. I was too excited.

I was awake when my friend prodded my bag, and the little camp stirred to life. We shared a quick breakfast and loaded into the Jeep and clattered into the dark pre-dawn chill. A

fi ne mist continued to blow, and the wind was sharp from the north. My friend


scope. Also in the duffel were an impressive green-and-yellow box of Remington 130-

1601 Doggett.indd 14 12/7/15 7:47 PM

and grass straw—not the best choice for hunting in wet weather.

The change from black to gray came torturously slow, stalled by fog and drizzle. I shivered, wishing for an extra layer. The brisk walk was fi ne, but the motionless vigil allowed dank chill to creep in from all around. The icy breeze was against my right cheek, but at least the tin roof kept the mist away. Well, most of it.

After 30 or 40 minutes, the surroundings began defi ning: dark cedar clumps to the right and left, a heavy rim of oaks beyond, and the fl at, rocky edge of the meandering creek bed in between. The creek looked mostly dry, with several narrow pools of holding water.

I spent the next hour “glassing” the avail-able terrain. Within 15 minutes, it became obvious that the blurry binoculars were a piece of junk, a waste of money. A $25 pair might look more-or-less like a $250 pair (1968, remember), but you get what you pay for. Optics is no place to skimp in deer hunting.

I was looking left, cursing the miserable

glasses, when I heard the distinct click of a tumbling rock. I turned slowly and saw a white-tailed buck mincing along the edge of the creek bed. The deer was about 50 or 60 yards away, and the antlers were instantly visible. They were brown and glistening in the mist.

With pounding heart and panting breath, I reached for the rifl e. The good glass of the scope cleanly framed the shoulder as I released the safety and pressed the trigger. The fl at “Boom!” of the .270 rebounded through the heavy air and across the creek draw. The buck dropped in its tracks.

Wow! No wonder the .270 is the most popular deer caliber in Texas! I just killed a buck! Just nailed him!

The deer was dead, no question. I climbed from the blind and walked to the creek and admired my moment. Then I unsheathed the Gerber and did a surpris-ingly good job of fi eld dressing, using a nearby pool to clean the blade and wash my hands. A streak of blood was on one rolled-up sleeve of the fl annel-hunting shirt, but you know what? It looked pretty damn good.

I stood and stretched and could not wait for the laboring sound of the Jeep as it nosed around the corner.

My friend is no longer with us, but I remain grateful that he recognized my keen-ness and included me in that long-ago deer hunt. Oh, yes—I forgot to mention the size of that fi rst great buck.

The “Junction Monster” was a young fork-horn that weighed about 70 pounds.

The observant reader probably noted several facts about deer hunting woven into this account, but perhaps most signifi cant is that, under the right circumstances, a small deer can be mighty big.

The size of a trophy and the value of the memory are not always judged by antler measurements. Sometimes we tend to forget that basic truth of deer hunting.

Email Joe Doggett atContactUs@fi shgame.com

1601 Doggett.indd 15 12/7/15 7:47 PM

Try to Fill Your Bucket

THERE COMES A TIME IN every person’s life when he or she contemplates, in earnest, the inevitable end. Some people make

bucket lists. I prefer instead to recall some pretty cool boxes already checked and hope that my remaining time offers a couple of pleasant surprises.

It’s not as though there’s nothing left to do. There are places I haven’t been—water not fi shed and ground not hunted—but I’ve been quite fortunate, as outdoors trips go, for a fellow my age.

Working in the hook-and-bullet industry has its perks. I’ve received many invitations to cast-and-blast my way around the world. Some came with strings attached and were quickly declined. Others were open-ended, “come see what you think” offers, and grate-fully accepted without promise.

Even where the fi sh didn’t bite or birds didn’t fl y, experienced outdoorsmen will understand, always there was a story. Quiet time in a duck blind or on a fi shing boat gives occupants a chance to connect on levels not attainable when action is fast.

On a bonefi sh-and-permit trip to Honduras, for example, my hosts and I fi rst shook hands just as a tropical depression crossed the coastline. Conditions worsened over three forgettable days. We spent lots of time indoors, I mostly listening to (and believ-ing) stories about how good fi shing is when the sun shines.

It did, on our fi nal full day, and we made the best of it. Water was still wrecked overall, but we found some clean fl ats and managed to fool a couple of pocket-sized bonefi sh. Still fi ghting a 20 mph wind, I had “shots” at a few permit.

Salmon fi shing off Sweden’s southeastern coast, on the Baltic Sea at a water tempera-

ture of 35 degrees, was dead slow thanks to years of commercial overfi shing. I got an ear-ful of great stories from my older captain and an eye-crossing introduction to a potent local beer. Only had a portion of one (quart) can and I felt like I’d just left a fraternity party.

After a successful Saturday of marlin fi shing—225-pounder—off Grand Cayman Island, I hopped a shuttle fl ight to Cayman Brac with plans to meet a local guide the fol-lowing morning and chase bonefi sh. I do like catching bonefi sh.

This trip was planned a year in advance by a public-relations fi rm based in New York

that was working for the island nation’s gov-ernment. Every “i” had been dotted, it seems, except one.

When my guide hadn’t arrived by 8 a.m., I asked the hotel clerk to give him a call. She connected and handed me the phone.

“I don’t fi sh on Sundays,” he explained. “That’s my family day.”

He wouldn’t budge, so I hopped on a bicycle, fl y rod in hand and Crazy Charlies in my pocket. About halfway around the island, I was parched from pedaling over hot asphalt. In the little town at the bottom of a hill, I noticed a store. Water. Perfect. The shopkeeper and guide apparently were related. I barely made it back to the hotel in time to hydrate, pack my stuff and catch the return fl ight to Grand Cayman.

And just this past summer, I jumped a jet for West Palm Beach. There, I met up with Mark Nichols, founder of DOA Lures, a dozen or so other outdoor communicators and as many guides for two days of always-good fi shing with his products.

I felt puny on arrival, but mustered for the fi rst day’s fi shing. We did OK.

On Day Two, fi rst time in my life, I was too sick to fi sh. Went to a local clinic, got some medication, then drove straight to the airport. I sat there for seven hours, only to learn that the fl ight was canceled because of a mechanical issue.

It was nearly 11 p.m. The airline covered a hotel room, but to make the fi rst fl ight out on Day Three, I had to be back in the airport by 5:30 a.m. I was, and I lived.

Don’t feel sorry for me. I’ve had a dozen great trips for every disappointing one, and I’ve never made a trip that didn’t produce a good column or radio-show segment.

Neither should you be envious of folks in my line of work. First, it’s work, so we’re usually on someone else’s clock (and dime). We’re fi shing and hunting, granted; but these trips are distinctly different from time spent in the fi eld or on the water with true friends.

Many of my peers have traveled to Africa and Eastern Europe and the South Pacifi c in pursuit of fi sh and game, and I love hearing their stories. If I get to those places, great. If not, I won’t feel cheated.

No Texan who has hunted and fi shed and lives for both has been cheated. We’re in a special place, and no matter where I go, I can’t wait to get back. There are people in other states, people all over the world, whose bucket lists and dreams include outdoor trips to Texas.

In the end, it comes down to seeing your own bucket as half full or half empty. My bucket’s loaded—but there will always be room, and I hope time, for one more great outdoor adventure.

Email Doug Pike atContactUs@fi shgame.com

by DOUG PIKE :: TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

PIKE on the Edge


“In the end, it comes down to seeing your own bucket as half full or half empty.“

1601 Pike.indd 16 12/7/15 7:24 PM

1601 Pike.indd 17 12/7/15 7:24 PM

Celebrate the Glorious, Glorious RUT!

WHEN YOU’RE OUT IN the deerwoods everyday like I am, you become extremely tuned in to God’s miraculous

creation, the pulsations of nature and her majestic, soul-stirring critters. There really is a wonderful, stimulating Call of the wild, but I prefer to call it the Spirit of the wild, for there is a tangible yet beyond the physical heartbeat to the ways of wild things, and us hardcore reasoning predators dedicated to be one with the beasts will eventually zero in and become a distinct part of that heartbeat.

And Lord have mercy does it ever feel Goooooood!

For this old rock-n-roll bowhunting fool, I am convinced that this hunting lifestyle represents the highest of highs, and like that old curse buck fever, it can and often does take some serious self-control and psyche management to maintain focus and keep the nerves and chest slamming heartbeat contained.

Tonight on our sacred family swampland hunting grounds, like most ambush vigils, I had deer within sight off and on most of the time, but was delighted to be surrounded by 15 different whitetails a good hour before dark.

Under the glowing canopy of slightly moving bright fall leaves at their most color-ful effervescence, the streams of intermit-tent setting sunlight provided one of God’s most exciting fi restorms of dynamic imagery. Again, self-control is the name of the game to keep from becoming entranced by the beauty of it all.

To complete the creation artwork, enter a huge old doe and her brace of large fawns of the year, both healthy, fat young’uns nearing 100 pounds each.

They were joined by a huge old lone

matriarch SwampDonkey gal that had to weigh more than 150 pounds with a horse like head and an enormous brisket that protruded forth.

These cagey, ultra-alert old Michigan she-deer will test the stealth of the most experienced bowhunter, for they never let their guard down, as they constantly scan

every which way. They live to discover intruders, especially uppity old backstrap addicted guitar players toting sharp sticks and antlerless tags.

SpiritWild VidCamDude Big Jim has learned over the years that zero movement is essential, and he did a great job of remaining undetected with me high up in the towering, leafy oak tree.

Soon a trio of yearling bucks sauntered in; a slick spike, a small forky and a larger, well-defi ned forky.

More does and fawns snuck in from the surrounding sawgrass marsh, ultra-cautious-ly, refusing to give us a break, forcing us to remain motionless, peering only with our peripheral vision, not even daring to turn our heads.

The small bucks took turns sniffi ng and stiff legging the does and fawns, acting like the juveniles they were, inspired to harass the does, but looking rather comical in their feeble attempt to be the big bad breeding buckaroos they would eventually become.

I was so tempted to arrow the biggest fawn-less, lone doe, but the pitter-patter of dry leaves behind us made me wait, antici-pating the arrival of a mature buck to take over the party of forest dwellers.

Darkness soon enveloped my sacred hunt-ing grounds, and we wrapped up another phenomenal day in the deerwoods, relishing every spine tingling moment of the greatest period of the year.

Typically I hunt the 1st and last three hours of daylight, but starting in late October, knowing that buck movement increases as that magical rut builds steam, I increase my hunting hours till I often hunt all day long come that amazing fi rst half of November.

With some early season backstrappers in the freezer, and with the decision for so many years to pass up young bucks, the always exciting rut has become that much more intense for us on the Nugent hunting grounds, just knowing that all those three and four year old bucks we have passed on all those years are now world-class, huge, trophy monarchs, the kind of majestic stags that legends are made of.

The time is now. Get out there and sponge up all this madness and outrageous deerhunting FUN!

Happy, Happy rut to all my fellow deerhunting BloodBrothers across the hin-terland. May the beasts of your dreams make that one mistake that gives us that rare and much appreciated, hard earned advantage to get the job done.

Hunt hard, hunt smart, hunt long, hunt fun! This is our time. There will only be this one single 2015-16 rut. Live it to the fullest.

Email Ted Nugent atTNugent@fi shgame.com

by TED NUGENT :: TF&G Editor-at-Large

NUGENT in the WildNUGENT NUGENT NUGENT NUGENT NUGENT NUGENT NUGENT NUGENT NUGENT NUGENT NUGENT


“The time is now.

Get out there.“

1601 Nugent.indd 18 12/7/15 7:25 PM

Peace on Earth

IT’S WORKING.

The terrorism, I mean. You can’t watch the news, or go on Twitter or Facebook, or have a conversation, with-

out hearing one side or the other of how we should be dealing with terrorism. And most of the time these conversations turn into heated debates, with both sides repeating talking points they’ve heard from spokesmen for ‘their’ side.

Our country is being split in two by Islamic Terrorism. Oh, we were already somewhat divided, because of political cor-rectness and people who make a living by creating animosity wherever they can. So we were already on the road to ruin, follow-ing those who support racism. But radical Islam is capitalizing on the situation. And it’s working.

On one hand we have those who think, somehow, that if we pass laws against cer-tain pieces of equipment, the terrorists won’t have that equipment anymore, so we’ll be safe. Because criminals can’t break laws.

There are a few problems with this view. We have laws against drugs, assault, theft, rape, speeding, and a million other wrongs. None of those laws has ever prevented a crime, and they never will. Laws only pro-vide for punishment after the fact. You can’t regulate behavior.

We have to bear in mind that all our laws are being ignored by the people who commit these crimes. If we pass more laws, those will be ignored, too. Laws won’t help.

On the other hand we have those who believe the way to combat radical Islamic terrorism is to ban Islam. Just make it illegal to practice Islam in America, and everything will be OK. Well, there are some problems with that view, also.

Because I have lived my entire life in the land of the free and the home of the brave, I have a truncated view of this kind of thing. So I went to my friend, Keith Johnson, and asked him his views about our situation.

Keith is a fellow ministry student at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. He grew up in South Africa, in the Islamic faith, with an Islamic family. He has a vested interest in solving our problem, one that is far more personal than mine, since some of his family still follows Islam.

Keith is a Christian and an American citizen, but he’s seen more evil than most of

us will encounter in our lives. As a boy grow-ing up, Keith watched radical Islam destroy the lives of people all around him. He said dissidents were often tied up, and an old tire was put around their necks, fi lled with gasoline, and set on fi re. That’s religious persecution.

I asked Keith if banning Islam in America was the answer. He said, “Well, the govern-ment in South Africa banned the African National Committee at one time, because of the problems it was causing. Now the ANC is running the country. And it’s destroying the country.”

Not, of course, that banning Islam would be possible. America could no more ban Islam than it could ban shoes, and still claim to support freedom. This country was

founded on the principle of religious free-dom. But the most telling statement Keith made is the reason why NO ONE should support banning Islam.

He said, “If we banned Islam, it would be a short step to banning Christianity.”

But there’s still more to the problem. Islam is a religion, and we’re all about religious freedom here, or at least we’re supposed to be. But Islam is also a political dogma that destroys the very fabric of any society it inhabits. So I asked Keith how we’re supposed to deal with that. How do we ban the political, while allowing the reli-gious, aspects of Islam.

He said, “You can’t. It’s not possible to separate the political from the religious in Islam. It all goes together.” So, it’s a theocracy.

Actually, I do have a solution to offer. My idea is to trap as many feral hogs as possible in the southern U.S. and turn them loose in the Middle East. We all know hogs can proliferate in any environment, and we could use some relief. And the folks over there would be so busy trying to eradicate the hogs they wouldn’t have time to bother anyone over here.

Yes, that’s a joke, in case you’re won-dering. Personally, I don’t think it’s a disrespectful joke, and I’m not trying to be disrespectful, although I’m sure some will take offense.

The question is, are we more offended by a joke about hogs, or by the murder of 14 innocent people over a difference of opinion?

These attacks will continue. The answer is to stop them as soon as possible after they start. Disarming the victims makes them easier victims. The only good news is that, if the bad guys are trying to kill you, it means you’re one of the good guys.

And make no mistake about it, America is still the good guys.

Email Kendal Hemphill atContactUs@fi shgame.com

by KENDAL HEMPHILL :: TF&G Political Editor

TF&G COMMENTARY

T E X A S F I S H & G A M E ® | J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | 19

“Our countryis being split

in two byIslamic terrorism.“

1601 Commentary.indd 19 12/9/15 1:27 PM

THE BIG RAINS THAT FELL ACROSS MUCH OF TEXAS

last spring and summer brought utter devastation to parts of the landscape and

wrecked countless lives as it caused historic flooding that washed out roadways,

breached dams and swept away numerous homes and vehicles, killing nearly

three dozen people in the process.

The wicked El Niño weather pattern rolled into the state in February and

gradually gained steam through May. That’s when it dumped record

amounts of rainfall on already soggy ground, causing creeks and rivers to

swell well beyond their banks, sending way more water flowing downstream

than some major reservoirs could hold.

20 | J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E ® PHOTO:

Fea 1-Rain.indd 20 12/7/15 6:59 PM

T E X A S F I S H & G A M E ® | J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | 21PHOTO:

Story by Matt Williams

Fea 1-Rain.indd 21 12/7/15 6:59 PM

Dozens of impoundments — some of them drought-stricken for years — refi lled in short order, while others were partially recharged with several feet of much-wel-comed water. In some cases the water rushed in way faster than controlling authorities could let it out, resulting in extended periods of high water that spurred boat ramp and camp ground closures that lasted for months.

The area around Lake Texoma was particularly hard it. During June, the Texas/Oklahoma border lake rose more than 28 feet above full pool and jumped its emer-gency spillway twice. Not far to the north, just ahead of Mother’s Day weekend, the dam ruptured on Jimmy Houston’s 125-acre Lake Twin Eagle, sending a staggering number of trophy bass and outsize crappie on a watery path to the Washita River.

Houston was in Alabama practicing for a bass tournament when he got word that his beloved honey hole was gone. “It wasn’t like getting told you’re going to die in three weeks or anything like that, but it was a pretty bad deal,” he said.

As destructive as the Spring 2015 fl oods were, they came with a silver lining that is sure to benefi t many of our lakes and the sport fi sheries fi nning around in them for several years to come. In other words, the long term fi shing forecast looks pretty promising.

The reason? It’s all about “trophic upsurge.”

Understanding Trophic Upsurge

As earlier mentioned, water levels on many Texas lakes were well below normal before the rains came. Some had been starv-ing for water for years.

During extended periods of low water, large expanses of the lake bed normally cov-ered by water are exposed to direct sunlight.

Sunlight spurs the gradual growth of grasses, weeds, bushes, trees and other forms of terrestrial vegetation native to the land-scape. The longer the lake remains low, the thicker and more widespread the new growth vegetation becomes.

When water levels rise and all that new growth vegetation is fl ooded, it pumps in rich nutrients that act as liquid fertilizer to everything in its path. This promotes a boom in plankton growth, benefi tting everything from forage fi sh populations to top end predators like bass, catfi sh and crappie.

The jungle of fl ooded cover also provides young-of-the-year game fi sh and forage such as sunfi sh and shad good places to hide from predators. This usually results in extremely high recruitment among one or more year classes of fi sh, ultimately leading to banner fi shing several years down the road as the fi sh mature.

Translation: Trophic upsurge, also known as the “new lake effect,” has the ability to make a tired or old fi shery seem new again.

The new lake phenomenon has been documented on a number of Texas reser-voirs over the years, and several more are in line for revivals as a result of the big rains that fell across Texas last spring.

To wit:

• Lake Alan Henry saw a 10 1/2 rise and went from 73 percent capacity to full pool.

• Lake Cooper caught 12 feet of water and

22 | J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E ® COMPOSITE PHOTO: TF&G

t Lake Alan Henry: +10.5 ft.

t Richland-Chambers: +11.5 ft.

Lake Ray Hubbard: +10 ft. u

Lake Amon Carter: +12 ft. u

Lake Belton: +11 ft. u

Lake Bridgeport: +23 ft. u

Lake Medina: +75 ft. p

Lake Possum Kingdom: +13 ft. u

t Richland-Chambers: +11.5 ft.

t Lake Cooper: +12 ft.

t Lake Grapevine: +28 ft.

t Lake Lavon: +13 ft.

t Fort Phantom Hill +15.2 ft.

Water Level Increases ofSelected Texas Lakes

Fea 1-Rain.indd 22 12/7/15 6:59 PM

jumped from 39 percent full to 100 percent full.

• Lake Amon G. Carter went from 56.1 percent full to six feet high after catching 12 feet of water in a single month.

• Lake Richland Chambers rose from 63 percent capacity to a foot high as the result of an 11 1/2 foot rise.

• Lake Lavon went from 46 percent full to foot high after catching nearly 13 feet of water.

• Lake Ray Hubbard jumped 10 feet from 59 percent capacity to nearly 100 percent full.

• Lake Grapevine rose 28 feet, refi lling from 57 percent capacity to 15 feet above normal.

• Lake Bridgeport rose more than 23 feet, from 38.9 percent capacity to 99 percent full.

• Lake Belton jumped nearly 11 feet from 72 percent capacity to nearly a foot high.

• Fort Phantom Hill Reservoir near Abilene rose 15.2 feet and refi lled from 31.1 percent to 88.5 percent full.

• Lake Possum Kingdom rose more than 13 feet from 63.9 percent capacity to 98.7 percent.

The list goes on and on. Lakes Fork, Cedar Creek, Stillhouse Hollow, Falcon, Canyon, Benbook, Georgetown, Travis, Buchanan, Granbury, and a host of others saw signifi cant rises last spring after years of low water.

While fi sheries biologists all around the state are excited about the possibilities on their respective lakes, few are more stoked than district supervisor Randy Myers is about Lake Medina.

“It’s been like a ghost town out there for a lot of years, but not anymore,” Myers said. “It’s going to produce some great fi shing for years to come, provided something crazy doesn’t happen.

Located near San Antonio, 5,000-acre Medina was 86.08 feet below full pool (4.3 percent capacity) when the fl oods came last May. Within three months the water level

jumped nearly 75 feet to more than 75 percent capacity.

Recognizing the potential, TPWD salted the lake with 203,000 Florida bass and 67,000 blue cat-fi sh. Not surprisingly, the fi sh have fared well amid the maze of ter-restrial cover that grew while the lake was low.

October electrofi sh-ing surveys performed at Medina turned up 341 bass per hour, which is 449 percent higher than the historic average. “Most of those fi sh were 7-9 inches and some up to 13 inches — the are growing like they are on steroids,” Myers said. “These were obviously all fi sh born this year, some through natural reproduc-tion, There are swarms of bass everywhere out there. It’s unbelievable. The shad and bluegills have exploded, too.”

Myers said electrofi shing surveys per-formed at Lake Falcon show that popula-tion has also made some serious strides. Biologists collected 91 bass per hour at the fabled reservoir along the Texas/Mexico border, which is double the historic average.

“Most of those were in the 4-7 inch range,” Myers said. “I’m thinking a lot of the fi sh spawned in June down there, maybe later. That lake is defi nitely on the upswing. The habitat conditions are really good at Falcon. It’s like a jungle down there with all the brush. Hopefully, we’ll get another boost (in water level) this winter and we’ll get another giant year class down there. When those fi sh mature, things could really explode. That’s what happened in the early 2000s.”

Fisheries biologist John Moczygemba of Pottsboro says several lakes in his district have experienced similar population booms.

“The bass, sunfi sh and shad have all exploded on lakes Weatherford, Nocona and Ray Roberts,” he said. “We saw a lot of 7-10 inch bass fi sh on those lakes in our elec-trofi shing surveys. We’re hearing the same thing happened at Bridgeport, Texoma and Lavon. They also had real good striper spawn on Texoma with all the infl ow. We lost some stripers through the spillway, but they will rebound. The fi shing is going to be

real good in years to come.”Fisheries biologist Kevin Storey of Tyler

is equally excited about the future of sev-eral lakes in his district, particularly at Lake Fork, where fl ooded willows, buck brush and other terrestrial vegetation have made helped improve the lake’s habitat.

Storey said the numbers from his fall electrofi shing collection were not available at press time, but pointed out that 8-10 inch fi sh were extremely abundant in the survey.

“That’s great news for Lake Fork,” Storey said. “Those fi sh should grow into the slot within 3-4 years and they will have a big infl uence the number of fi sh that anglers are able to catch.”

Storey added that fall rains helped Fork’s maintain near full pool water levels going into winter. That should bode well for another banner spawn in Spring 2016 and provide another strong year class of offspring.

As bright as the prospects are across much of the state, some lakes continue to starve for water. As of Oct. 31, Lake O.H. Ivie was only 12.8 capacity; O.C. Fisher, 16.4 percent; Oak Creek, 24.8; Sweetwater, 11 percent; Twin Buttes, 5.3 percent; Palo Duro, 5.2 percent; Meredith, 24.5 percent; Mackenzie, 16.5 percent; and Hubbard Creek, 37.3 percent.

But there is a silver lining to it all. The skies will eventually open and the lakes will refi ll, resulting in another round of trophic upsurge to turn another group of tired honey holes into vibrant fi sheries again.

T E X A S F I S H & G A M E ® | J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | 23GRAPHIC: TF&G (COURTESY GOOGLE MAPS)

= Approx water level

LAKE OH IVIE

= Conserv. Pool level

OH Ivie and other West Texas lakes remain severely low.

Fea 1-Rain.indd 23 12/7/15 6:59 PM


Fea 6-Trout.indd 24 12/7/15 7:14 PM

SPECKLED TROUT are finicky creatures.

All fish have periods of aggressive biting and lockjaw but

in terms of inland saltwater fish in Texas, specks are the most

confusing, especially the larger ones

This is especially true during the winter and early spring when few

anglers seem to find consistent patterns.

Some anglers hypothesize this is because trout are moving throughout the bay

system following the available prey. Research shoots this down pretty quickly.

Of the 477 spotted seatrout tagged in a migration study in Alabama, 58 returns were

received, and 53 percent exhibited no movement. If you missed a big sow in a particular

spot, chances are she is still very nearby.

A trout’s metabolism slows greatly in winter and this is a proven fact as

their growth rates rate slows to a crawl. This is even more pronounced

in big trout which are by their nature slower moving and more

selective. Most big trout are not likely contenders for

daily migration.

T E X A S F I S H & G A M E ® | J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | 25PHOTO: CHESTER MOORE

story by Chester Moore


One of the reasons we often miss catch-ing trout is because we are not accurately “matching the hatch”.

When adult shrimp and menhaden (shad) are not abundant in the bays, trout feed on what is available and oftentimes it does not match up to the lures we typically take out of the tackle box and sometimes they are in places few consider searching out.

As trout grow larger they begin to eat larger prey. The largest trout eat the largest prey. Researchers in Texas and Mississippi have found mullet to be the preferred food of the biggest trout. At times the mullet is half or two-thirds the size of the trout.

Mullet imitating plugs are common on the Gulf Coast and certainly should be a part of any angler’s repertoire but what

about color?Small mullet tend to be slightly lighter

in color than their bigger counterparts. Do your lures match the colors of the young mullet in your ecosystem? What about the larger ones?

I have seen mullet with greenish-looking backs in Louisiana and some nearly com-pletely silver in Texas. If trout are reacting to a genetically inspired inclination to feed on that prey from their natural area then it is important to match colors as good as you can.

Trout have clear, color vision and are super line shy in clear water. The use of lures that mimic very close to your local trout’s prey can give you advantage. With virtually every fi sh natural colors work best in clear water whereas the more exotic fare can get the job done when it is murky. Due to a lessening of algae during winter and early spring waters to tend to clearer in Texas bays barring fl ood conditions. Making sure your lures line up with what you see in the water is a point that cannot be overstated. In addition, fl uorocarbon line can help elimi-nate loss of potential big trout catches. It is virtually invisible in the water.

• Big speckled trout feed heavily on rib-bonfi sh (cutlassfi sh) when they move into bays from the Gulf. Find ribbonfi sh scurry-ing to the surface in panic and you will fi nd BIG trout. At a distance their silver fl ashes can spot ribbbonfi sh as they breach.

The biggest trout almost never school. A study conducted by researcher D.C. Tabb found that trout in excess of six years of age are nearly all-large semi-solitary females. These are the giants we dream of.

Big trout are truly elusive, strange fi sh that do not fi t into a particular mold. They are much like giant largemouth bass in that once they reach a certain size their habits change dramatically. The angler who takes the time to study them and realize they will have to trade catching lots of trout for the chance to get one big trout will score on their personally fi sh of a lifetime.

26 | J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E ® PHOTOS: CHESTER MOORE

Learning the colors of your local mullet can help you match the hatch.

Ken Chaumont with a big speckled trout caught a few winters ago by “matching the hatch” with an Egret Wedgetail Mullet.


Decompression

FISHING CAN BE A HIGH-pressure endeavor.

Tournament anglers don’t fi sh just to have fun. They MUST catch

fi sh—usually the largest of the targeted spe-cies—to have a chance of winning, or at least fi nishing in the money.

Guides and charter captains HAVE to produce fi sh to keep the paying clients on their boats happy. Television show hosts know their viewers don’t want to watch 22 minutes of a man talking about the exercise “being called ‘fi shing,’ not ‘catching’ for a reason.” They want to see him catch fi sh, sometimes big ones.

Writers are under pressure to catch fi sh because we otherwise look pretty silly. Husbands are under pressure to catch fi sh so they can justify to their wives why they fi sh. Dads are under pressure because…Female anglers are under pressure because…

Well, you get the idea. Whether the reasons are intrinsic or extrinsic, plenty of us put a ton of pressure on ourselves when we go fi shing. It’s the sort of pressure that made Santiago row out farther than the other fi shermen (imagine the pressure that Hemmingway’s protagonist felt after going 84 days without a fi sh).

How many of us have gone a full day of hard, unrewarded fi shing, swear, “one more cast,” only to fi nish the retrieve and swear, “okay, THIS is really the last cast!”

Many captains will stay on the water a little longer when the action is slow to try and put fi sh in the boat. I know television personalities who have gone out on the water when conditions were less than ideal to get the shot and the fi sh. I’ve lost sleep worry-ing about catching fi sh the next morning. Heaven forbid, but sometimes the pressure takes the fun out of fi shing.

The truth is, however, it IS called “fi sh-

ing” and not “catching.” We are not going to catch fi sh every time we go out on the water. As much as we promise our bud-dies—and, more, ourselves—that we’re gonna whack ‘em, we don’t.

Sometimes the weather goes bad, or the boat spins a prop, or we have the wrong bait, or the fi sh just simply don’t bite. Sometimes, there is no joy in Mudville.

I don’t need to state the obvious. This is supposed to be fun. It was fun when each of us fi rst dipped a hook baited with bacon, or salami, or bread and caught our fi rst perch.

Long before the expensive rods and reels, the footlockers full of lures, the big center console boats with the four stroke engines, and the expensive fi shing apparel, we fi shed and we enjoyed ourselves.

Whether we caught trout, bass catfi sh, or even a hoary carp, we were happy. The catching was important, but not urgent. Hell, we were fi shing!

Recently, I had the pleasure of fi shing with Clay Norris of Berkley fi shing and Captains Paul Braly and Daniel Land in the Upper Laguna Madre. I was putting a lot of pressure on myself because, well, you know, I should know what the hell I’m doing, right?

Norris looked like the very picture of ease, even though we were going to be fi shing with some new Berkley products. Captains Land and Braly also looked at ease. We were fi shing a system they know intimately well—fi shing for redfi sh they knew were there and hungry.

When I saw how relaxed and excited to fi sh that these gentlemen were, I remem-bered where I was; and too, relaxed. At that point, when the self-imposed pressure dissolved, I began to have fun.

In the end, we had an absolute blast. We saw a lot of pretty country, cussed some

seagulls, and laughed a lot. I learned some fi shing techniques that made me a better fi sherman. We even caught some nice trout and redfi sh, too. The fi sh, though, were sec-ondary to the overall experience of spending a day on the water with great friends and new friends.

Vince Lombardi once admitted his regret for coining the phrase “winning isn’t every-thing. It’s the only thing.” Lost in the quote which is considered the epitome of competi-tion was Lombardi’s belief that there is glory in the effort, that we should also applaud the competitor who walks off the fi eld or the court or out of the ring having given his most earnest effort, even if it was a losing one.

Winning is important, but Lombardi believed that the effort to win, to grow, to persevere, was more important. It’s an important enough belief that it was the central theme of a commencement speech he gave at Notre Dame one year.

The old idiom is that insanity is repeating the same action and expecting a different result. Catching fi sh is important, otherwise fi shing becomes the embodiment of the defi -nition of insanity (some would say it still is).

However, most of the people who fi sh are past the point where they have to catch fi sh for sustenance (and then, it is actually more economical to go to HEB and buy some tilapia). The experience is pretty important, too. Especially, if you are sharing it with friends, strangers, or a part of yourself you don’t meet except when you’re on the water.

More important, it is the experience that we want to pass on, not the pressure. Leave the pressure for less entertaining endeavors such as golf.

Email Calixto Gonzales atContactUs@fi shgame.com

by CALIXTO GONZALES :: TF&G Saltwater Editor

Texas SALTWATER


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Big Hogs on Game Camerassubmitted by TF&G Readers, on following pages u


LAST NOVEMBER WE PUT

out a call for game camera and hunter

kill photos of monster hogs and the

response has been phenomenal. Pho-

tos are still coming in and one thing is

certain. There are plenty of huge hogs

in the state of Texas.

Here are some our readers captured

on game cameras. Next month we will

see hogs killed and captured.


This massive red hog captured on game camera by Josh Snear-lely with a cool spotted pattern is out there somewhere in the Pineywoods of East Texas. This hog is likely in the 400 pound class making it a true giant.

T E X A S F I S H & G A M E ®

This blurry shot sent in by Bobby Elder shows two absolute giant hogs. Notice how fat they are? There is a good chance these are “bars” or boars that were caught likely by hog-dog hunters, cas-trated and released. This makes them grow to huge weights and is done to allegedly increase the quality of the meat.

LAST NOVEMBER WE PUT

Travis Addington said he was going to hunt this hog hard after he sent in this photo. The hog is close to the cam-era giving it an almost mutant look but it is a really big one, probably in the 300-350 pound range.

Shea Harrison sent in this photo of a massive hog obvi-ously not happy about the amount of corn being dispensed from this feeder. Hogs are not only large animals. They can be demanding. In other words they like to throw their weight around.


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Diego Rosales managed to get this shot of a big, muscular hog that almost appears well-groomed. Notice the feeder behind it. This is one big pig, no matter how high that feeder actually stands. We can’t imagine the timer being less than three feet high and most hunters set theirs a mini-mum of fi ve feet.

A reader only identifi ed as “Rene” in a message sent in this photo of two unique looking hogs from the wilds of Texas. At fi rst glance they have an almost warthog-like appearance.

This long, tall hog sent in by Shawn Carter is showing the behavior that makes them so hard to hunt. Hogs go nocturnal when pressured and they do so very quick-ly. Although hunt-ing them at night is legal, it is not exactly easy, especially for hunters who cannot afford thermal imag-ing scopes and night vision.

Bubba Suggs managed to get a photo of a massive hog with the biggest tusks we have ever seen here on a live hog photo at TFG. This is the stuff nightmares are made of or in the case of many hunters, their dreams. Let us know if you kill this one Bubba.


Self Defense by STEVE LAMASCUSTactical :: Concealed Carry & DUSTIN ELLERMANN

TEXAS Dept. of DEFENSEby &

Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of DEFENSEDEFENSEDEFENSEDEFENSEDEFENSE

The Cop’s Revolver

THE SMITH AND WESSON K-frame .357 Magnum, originally known as the Combat Magnum, was the brainchild of the late Bill

Jordan, Assistant Chief Patrol Agent, Unit-ed States Border Patrol. Jordan (1911-1997) was one of the fastest and most accurate gunfi ghters that ever lived. He was also a thinking man.

With the introduction of the .357 Magnum in 1935, law enforcement had a cartridge that was powerful enough to stop most armed assailants with one well-placed shot, while still being mild enough in recoil that most cops could shoot it without fl inch-ing.

Pretty soon it began to replace the .38 Special as the caliber of choice for many

peace offi cers. The only fl y in the soup was that the original .357 Magnum was a big, heavy, N-frame revolver of the same size as the various .45 caliber revolvers.

At that time metallurgy was not to the point where .357s could be offered in .38 Special-framed guns. So the cop was forced to choose either a heavy, burdensome sidearm in .357 Magnum, or a light, easily-carried sidearm in .38 Special.

Sad to say, many opted for the lighter gun in the less powerful cartridge. I feel certain that these decisions cost some police offi cers their lives when the rather anemic 158-grain round-nosed lead bullet cartridg-es commonly marketed as “police loads” failed to stop an attacker.

Beginning in the 1950s, Jordan began to consult (read pester) with Smith and Wesson on the design for a new, lighter, smaller, offi cer’s revolver in .357. Bill knew what he wanted and after fi ve years of research and development, Smith and Wes-son arrived at a design that Jordan liked. The fi rst Combat Magnum, (Later desig-

nated the Model 19. I wish S&W would go back to names rather than model num-bers.) serial # K260,000 was presented to Bill Jordan on November 15, 1955.

Model 19s could be had in nickel fi nish, but the vast majority of them were fi nished with a gorgeous, deep, lustrous blue that looked as though it was bottomless. The .357 Combat Magnum could be had in 2.5-inch, four-inch, and six-inch barrels. The 2.5-inch was perfect for plain-clothes work, the four-inch was perfect for uniform carry, and the six-inch was perfect for target shooting, hunting, and competition.

If there was ever a revolver that truly looked as deadly as the 2.5-inch Model 19, I don’t know what it is. I will share a secret with you. When I was contemplating going into law enforcement I spent a good deal of time patrolling with two friends who were peace offi cers. One was Bill Waldrop, a Texas game warden; the other was the then-Chief of Police in Sabinal, Texas. Both knew I was well versed in handgun-ning, so they allowed me to carry a con-

Going ShortSHORT-BARRELED RIFLES (SBRS)

are more popular than ever. In some cases they are an excellent choice for a defensive weapon and compact hunting rifl e. Others are simply a fun range toy. The popularity of AR pistols seems to have fueled this short barrel movement, especially with the introduction of pistol braces such as the Sig Arms SB15, which makes shooting these rifl e-like pistols more practical.

According to the National Firearms Act of 1934, any person wishing to own a rifl e with a barrel shorter than 16 inches must get the government’s per-

mission, cough up a $200 (infringement) tax, wait several months for paperwork to clear, then you can either transfer or manufacture your short-barreled rifl e. In short, it’s the same process you must complete to own a fi rearm suppressor to protect your hearing. There isn’t any logic in restricting ownership of a rifl e that is less powerful now that it has a shorter barrel, but that’s what you get with big government.

The most popular option is to build or, technically, to “manufacture” a short-barreled AR15 by registering the receiver and engraving it to establish you as the manufacturer, Then you can eas-ily install a new short-barreled upper on the rifl e.

Of course the easiest option is a .223 caliber upper, but that is where

the controversy lies. The 5.56mm/.223 Remington cartridge was designed for high velocities. It’s said that it performs best at more than 2,700 fps where the bullet will fragment, tumble and do the most damage to soft tissue. So, every inch chopped off of your barrel will lose valuable velocity potential. The magic length that you don’t want to go below for .223 tends to be around 11 inches. You can fi nd lots of seven-inch .223 bar-rels, but that’s what I would classify as a “range toy.” Lots of noise, lots of concus-sion, lots of muzzle fl ash, but ineffective ballistics.

The beauty of the AR15 platform is its versatility. When I built (for any ATF agents reading this: after I had my com-pleted tax stamp) my SBR lower, I had

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1601 Dept of Defense.indd 32 12/9/15 1:49 PM

cealed handgun when I was out with them. That handgun was a 2.5-inch Model 19 in a Roy Baker pancake holster.

When I joined the Uvalde Police Department, I was issued a very nice four-inch Model 19. I practiced a lot with that M19, but mainly shot light, .38 Special wadcutter loads in it. I carried 125-grain Federal .357 Magnum hollow points for more serious purposes.

When I graduated from the Border Patrol Academy I was issued an old, but very serviceable Colt “Border Patrol” in .357 Magnum. It was basically a Colt Trooper II, as far as I could tell.

Having been weaned on a Smith and Wesson, I did not like the Colt. The trig-ger pull was hard and different, the grips

didn’t fi t my hand, and I didn’t shoot it all that well. So as soon as possible, I put in a memo requesting permission to carry my personal Smith and Wesson Model 66. The Model 66 was the stainless steel ver-sion of the Model 19.

To this day the only authorized U.S. Border Patrol commemorative handgun was the one put out by Smith and Wesson in 1976, and it was a Model 66. Only around 3,000 were made, I believe.

My opinion, shared by many former peace offi cers, is that the K-frame Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum revolvers known by the appellations of Model 19 or Model 66 are among the fi nest police revolvers ever produced. In fact, the 2.5-inch round butt version is still a very fi ne choice for the

plain-clothes offi cer, and is just about per-fect for the civilian with a concealed carry license.

Today I have two Model 19s—a 2.5-inch and a four-inch—that have great nos-talgic meaning to me. I carry both (one at a time, that is) regularly around my acreage near Brackettville. The 2.5-inch is riding on my belt as I type this. The fi rst two rounds up are snake loads of #9 shot, but the next four, and the six in my pocket, are for other kinds of varmints.

—Steve LaMascus

.300 AAC Blackout in mind. Although the 5.56mm was designed for a 20-inch barrel, the .300BLK was designed for a nine-inch barrel and achieves the same muzzle energy as a 14.5-inch 5.56mm. Therefore I didn’t need to worry too much about ammunition choices and barrel length.

I went with an 11-inch barrel to stabi-lize longer, heavier subsonic bullets thus ensuring I didn’t damage my suppressor.

Advantages of a SBR are not only a

more compact and maneuverable pack-age, but also shaving weight off the muz-zle end. Once a suppressor is added to a 16-inch or longer barrel, the leverage is in the rifl e’s favor, not the shooter’s. Long suppressed guns get heavy in a hurry.

Shooting is much easier when the one-pound suppressor is half the dis-tance closer to you. Don’t be fooled, accuracy has nothing to do with barrel length, only velocity. In fact some stud-

ies have shown shorter barrels to shoot tighter groups.

SBRs might not appeal to everyone, but most shooters who have suppressors tend to go down the short route way.

Make sure you research the laws, stay legal, stay safe, shoot quietly, and have fun.

—Dustin Ellermann

An 11” SBR rifl e in .300BLK (lower) is just as compact with the 7.5” Saker suppressor attached as a standard 16” rifl e (above).

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Still Have a Tag to Fill?

A NEW YEAR BEGINS, AND with it comes new challenges for hunters. Is this the year you score on that big whitetail you saw all

season long? Is he still alive?Some off-season scouting will give you

the answer. You might even be lucky enough to fi nd his sheds. Either way, when the ant-lers start growing back, you can check the fi elds in late summer to see whether he is out there feeding.

Hey! What am I saying? Hunting season is not over for Texans! No sir! Late season bucks are not impossible to fi nd. You just have to hunt them a little differently than you did during the season.

Time to pull out every trick in the book—and speaking of tricks, here is one that you might not have thought of. If you follow my column every month, then you might have seen a few unconventional things that I have tried, to score on my buck. Some things work; some do not; but I have to tell you that it sure is fun trying them.

I wrote about a buddy and me walking out in a fi eld where three does were, just to see how close we could get. All we had was a set of antlers that my friend held up to his head and surprisingly, we got well within bow range.

Then, there was the time I stuffed a dummy and dressed it in camo clothes, tied it up in my tree stand and left it there for weeks before the season began. The deer got used to seeing it. Believe it or not, the fi rst time I hunted the stand, the deer paid no attention to me at all.

When you stop laughing, read this new

trick that actually worked for me this past season. Well—to be honest, it only worked once and spooked the deer the next time.

OK— I was hunting alone and it seemed like every time I picked a stand to hunt in, the whitetails would always walk a different way. It was like they had a sixth sense and had me pegged even though the wind was right in my face.

I thought for a while and came up with this idea. The day before I was going to hunt that area again, I went there with my special ammo. My “special ammo” actually was three extra radios. That’s right, you read that correctly, three radios.

The day before I wanted to hunt a par-ticular area, I went to my spot and placed each radio very near heavily used deer trails in the immediate area, but not leading to, my deer stand. I set different channels on each radio, turned them on, and placed them inside three zip-lock bags. I knew that the batteries would not get drained only by receiving signals and not sending them, my trap was set.

The next morning found me perched in my stand well before shooting light. As the morning progressed, I watched as a nice buck slowly headed towards me. Then, as if on cue, it decided to follow a different trail that led in the direction of one of my radios.

I had my radio in my hand and was ready as the deer came closer and closer to it and farther from me. Then I made sure my radio was set at the appropriate channel and pushed the button that would give a musical signal. The buck jumped, avoided that area, then headed toward another radio ambush.

Again, I waited patiently and switched my radio to a different channel. As soon as the buck was close to the hidden radio, I hit the sound again. Once again the buck jumped, but this time headed back to me.

I missed, but my trick actually worked. I rushed my shot and neglected to pick a spot on the buck and instead, shot at the whole deer. Not good, but as the big buck ran off, I had a smile on my face that went from ear

to ear—and that WAS good!Now that the trick section is done, I

should remind you that if you want to be successful on a late season whitetail, you need to hunt places where you do not expect deer to be.

Walk the hedgerows during rifl e season. You just might fi nd the buck of your dreams, dreaming himself, under the blanket of a thick hedgerow.

Check the food sources you found in the middle of a woodlot. Smart bucks will, once again, be thinking of food they need to survive the colder weather not too far away.

However, the big boys will be reluctant to approach the open fi elds. They feel much more secure if they can avoid being seen.

It might be a scrub apple orchard in the woods, or maybe a grove of oak trees that still are dropping acorns. Often, late season deer will eat browse they fi nd throughout the woods. These are animals that rely on their instincts. Consequently, depending on the amount of food available, it’s not uncommon to see deer in the brush near some suburbs in search of fi lling their bellies. Late in the year, you might fi nd your favorite bushes in your front yard half- eaten by a few hungry deer.

It always amazes me how many deer are killed after taking refuge in the smallest of woodlots. To many hunters, they simply cannot believe that something that small will hold deer, but it really does.

Simply put, if you fi nd an area you are convinced have no deer in it, check it out anyway. The big bucks did not get that big being stupid. They know how to avoid being seen by hikers, bird watchers, and hunters all year long.

It is very possible to fi ll that tag this late in the year; you just have to think of different approaches for success.

Most of all, remember to have fun and hunt safe.

Email Lou Marullo atContactUs@fi shgame.com

by LOU MARULLO :: TF&G Hunting Editor

Bare Bones HUNTING


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YOUNG PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY YOUNG MEN, LIKE

big, fl ashy toys.

When talking boats throw in fast and high tech and you get a pretty good

picture of what college age and younger anglers aspire towards.

Boats however are expensive and with the average student debt at

$29,400 according to the Institute for College Access, many young

people start out in a not so enviable fi nancial position.

So, what about getting a boat?

There are options for young anglers out there that can allow them

to fi sh while at the same time not piling on huge amounts of debt.

Here is the breakdown.

KayaksThere is no question young people make up a growing segment of the kayak

industry.

TF&G Practical Angler columnist and author of Kayak Texas Greg

Berlocher said for young anglers wanting to get out on the water inexpensively

kayaks are hard to beat.

“Kayaks are fun, effective and with modern designs are easy to learn to navi-

gate,” Berlocher said.

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Floating Toys forGirls and Boys

story by TF&G Staff

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“And one of the great things about them is they allow access to areas some of the most costly boats can’t get to. Sometimes that is due to motor restrictions and sometimes it has to do the depth of an area but they really are stealth fi shing machines that take some limits away from anglers.”

Berlocher said the term kayak angler is made up of two separate words and kayak anglers can benefi t from study and practice. Most kayak fi shermen are fi shermen who happen to paddle.

“Paddling takes a back seat to fi shing. Taking a course to improve your paddling skills will increase your mobility and range, and will put less wear and tear on your body,” he said.

He also said young anglers should not expect a quick path to success whether in a kayak or a bay boat.

“Become a student of the game There are no shortcuts to success. Time spent on the mental aspects of kayak fi shing will translate to achievements on the water. Investing time, and perhaps a few dollars, in the sport you love will yield a surprising amount of divi-dends,” he said.

Aluminum Bass & Bay Boats

A few years back in 4-time Bassmaster Classic champion Rick Clunn’s last Classic appearance, he fi shed in an aluminum bass boat.

“It was about making a statement because I think the industry has sold people on the idea that you need to have a $60,000 bass boat to be effective and that is just not true,” Clunn said.

“Sure, there are advantages but for most anglers you can do just fi ne in an aluminum rig which are lighter and often much less expensive.”

Companies like Xpress offer bass fi shing aluminum rigs that not only fi sh good but look sharp as well.

“Young anglers need to keep in mind the boat is just a tool. The fi sherman is the one who has the power to make the right decision and the boat is the means of getting you to certain locations. Do not let the fact you might not be able to afford the latest, greatest bass boat stop you from fi shing. Let it inspire you to use what you can afford to help you become the best you can be,” Clunn said.

There are also aluminum center console bay boats, which come in a variety of sizes.

“I grew up fi shing in aluminum boats in

38 | J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E ® PHOTO: CLAY CONNER

Aluminum bass rigs like this Xpress model come with plenty of features, but without the $60,000 price tag.


saltwater and when I got to college age early in my career practically lived at the jetties fi shing up close to the rocks,” said TF&G Editor-In-Chief Chester Moore.

“You still need to be just as careful in alu-minum rig as in any other but aluminum will give you a little leeway in rocky areas that you might not want to risk with fi berglass. I never thought I was limited because I had an aluminum boat. We actually used it as an advantage to sort of squeeze into tight zones we might not try with a big, fi berglass rig.”

Aluminum SkiffsTF&G Boating Editor Lenny Rudow is

a master of breaking down the pros and cons of boats. He said one of the best boats to get for anglers on a budget is an aluminum skiff.

“These boats are uber-simple, and pro-vide a small, wide-open, fi shing or hunting platform. They’re one of the most popular types of boats around, and thanks to high demand on the used market, aluminum skiffs retain their value better than many other types of boats,” he said.

UPS:• Thanks to their simple design, skiffs

are just about the least expensive boats on the water.

• Thanks to their simple design, they can be used for just about anything—fi shing in all types of waters, hunting (if you choose the boat’s fi nish appropriately, of course), or just cruising around the lake is no problem.

• Aluminum construction means they’re lightweight, require less power than similarly•sized fi berglass boats, are easy to trailer, and easy to launch and retrieve.

• Long term maintenance costs are extremely low.

DOWNS:• Aluminum skiffs aren’t the best for

handling large waves, nor open waters.

• They have little in the way of creature comforts, and even less in the way of protec-tion from the sun and weather.

• Since they’re light they tend to get

blown around easily, which may make drift fi shing in a breeze diffi cult.

• Most don’t have as much eye•appeal as fi berglass rigs.

Buy for Your NeedsThe real key to getting a boat is buying

for your needs, not the needs of a touring bass pro or some television show host but yours.

Think hard about what you will be doing and seek out the affordable boat for that spe-cifi c need. And realize as Clunn said it is not the boat that makes the angler but the angler that gives his or herself the opportunities to excel in fi shing.

Boats are extremely important and so is fi scal responsibility. As a young person make wise choices on both and get a fruitful and affordable start at fi shing.


True GREENTrueTrueTrueTrueTrue GREENGREENGREENGREENGREENGREENGREENGREENGREENGREENGREENGREENGREENGREENGREENGREENGREENGREENGREENGREEN

Rainbows AheadY

EARS AGO, TEXANS HAD to drive to New Mexico or Colorado to catch a rainbow trout. But that was then. These

days, anglers can enjoy trout fi shing right here in the Lone Star State.

The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department will be stocking hundreds of thousands of hatchery-reared rainbow trout at sites across the state through early March. Many of the stockings will be con-ducted at small community fi shing lakes, state park lakes and popular river tailraces that offer easy angling access.

TPWD has been stocking rainbow trout each winter since the 1970s, offer-

ing Texans a convenient and inexpensive opportunity to go fi shing.

Fishing for these hungry trout is fairly simple, making it an ideal experience for children and novice anglers. Most sites get an annual dose of more than 1,000 trout, and the fi sh begin to bite almost immedi-ately after stocking.

Anglers can fi nd stocking locations, stocking dates, driving directions to sites, and the most up to date stocking informa-tion on the TPWD’s complete Rainbow Trout Stocking Schedule. Many locations host special events for youth in addition to allowing the public fi shing opportuni-ties. Check with local parks and recreation departments or water authorities for addi-tional information.

Rainbow trout thrive in cold water and can be caught on a variety of natural and artifi cial baits. Top baits include commer-cial soft bait, cheese, marshmallows, whole kernel canned corn and small spinner baits. Fly fi shermen have a lot of luck with hand-

tied fl ies. Baits can be fi shed off the bottom or suspended under a bobber.

Fishing gear can be as basic as an inexpensive spincast rod and reel combo, a small plastic bobber or a fi shing weight and a hook. Bringing a needle-nosed plier to help remove hooks is advisable. Other gear to consider include a fi ve-gallon bucket, small ice chest or a fi sh stringer to store catches. Freshly-caught trout should be kept on ice to keep them fresh.

Among the winter trout stocking sites are Neighborhood Fishin’ locations in urban areas across the state. Spots such as small neighborhood lakes get trout-stocked every two weeks during the winter.

Catfi sh are also stocked there during the summer, making them year-round family fi shing destinations. Details can be found on the Neighborhood Fishin’ Web page, which lists the urban area, lake or pond, driving directions and TPWD information for each site.

Other popular fi shing spots like the Guadalupe River below the Canyon Reservoir Dam, which includes the tailrace, also receive multiple stockings.

Anglers should note special harvest restrictions in place along that stretch of the Guadalupe River below the tailrace. In this area, anglers may keep only fi ve trout per day, which must be between 12 inches and 18 inches in length, though one fi sh longer than 18 may be kept. Any trout taken must be caught on artifi cial lures.

A valid Texas freshwater fi shing license package is required to fi sh for trout. Youths aged 16 and younger and all anglers fi shing within state parks are exempt from the fi sh-ing license requirement.

For additional details about the special harvest regulations and the location of that river stretch, consult the TPWD Outdoor Annual.

«Email Will Leschper at

[email protected]

Edited by WILL LESCHPER TF&G Conservation Editor


1601 True Green.indd 40 12/7/15 7:44 PM

DU Lauds Passage of Texas Amendment

TEXANS OVERWHELMINGLY supported Proposition 6—the Right to Hunt and Fish Amendment to the Texas

Constitution—on the November 2015 bal-lot.

The amendment authored by Represen-tative Trent Ashby and Senator Brandon Creighton passed the House and Senate overwhelmingly. A whopping 81 percent of voters support the amendment.

Texas Outdoor Partners, a coalition of 60 Texas hunting, fi shing and conservation groups representing Texas’ 2.7 million hunt-ers and anglers, got behind the Proposition 6 Right to Hunt and Fish amendment and helped move it forward. Dallas Safari Club (DSC) and the Texas State Rifl e Asso-ciation (TSRA) led the effort for Texas Outdoor Partners with key assistance from the National Rifl e Association (NRA) and large wildlife membership groups such as Ducks Unlimited (DU), Coastal Conserva-tion Association (CCA Texas), National Wild Turkey Federation NWTF), Texas Wildlife Association (TWA), and Texas Black Bass Unlimited (TBBU), and landowner groups including Texas Farm Bureau, Texas And Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, and Texas Forestry Association.

Ducks Unlimited and CCA Texas were forced to respond to some op-eds on Propo-sition 6 that were just fl at wrong, and grossly misrepresented the facts on the proposed Constitutional amendment. Some stated the right to hunt and fi sh was “under attack by rabid conservationists,” but the truth is that we were not aware of a single valid conser-vation organization opposed to Prop 6, or for that matter any organized and fi nanced opposition.

The fi rst proposed Constitutional amend-ment we can recall supporting a right to hunt and fi sh was fi led in 1999 in the Texas legislature, but conservation groups opposed those almost biennial efforts until this ses-

sion in 2015 when the language in the pro-posed amendment fi nally created a proper and legally defensible balance between the opportunity to hunt and fi sh and the state and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s ability to manage with science our legal and ethical hunting and fi shing. In addi-tion, landowner concerns were specifi cally addressed through the amendment language which directly protected landowner rights and trespass laws.

The need to protect hunting and fi shing and the booming industry surrounding the sports has been increasing with the growth and enhanced funding of national extrem-ist anti-hunting groups. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation’s most recent report based on 2011 data notes that :

• 2.7 million people hunted or fi shed in Texas in 2011, more than the population of Houston, the state’s largest city (2.7 million vs 2.1 million).

• There were more sportsmen and women in Texas than the 2011 home atten-dance for the Dallas Cowboys, the Dallas Mavericks, the Houston Texans, and the Houston Rockets combined (2.7 million vs 2.4 million).

• Sportsmen and women spent $4.1 billion on hunting and fi shing in Texas in 2011, which was nearly twice the receipts for cotton, the state’s second largest agricultural commodity that year ($4.1 billion vs. $2.3 billion).

• Hunters and anglers supported more jobs in Texas than Dell; the University of Texas, Austin; and the MD Anderson Can-cer Center, the state’s top three employers (65,993 vs. 59,000 jobs combined).

• And Texas’ sportsmen and women generated $415 million in state and local taxes in 2011. That is enough to support the

average salaries of more than 8,100 police-men in the state.

On top of that, through licenses, stamps, and (sportsmen requested) federal excise taxes on hunting and fi shing equipment, licensed hunters and anglers since the early 193’s have annually paid for the bulk of sci-ence and conservation efforts in Texas, not general state taxes. Through the generosity of sportsmen and sportswomen, groups such as Ducks Unlimited, CCA and others are able to truly impact conservation efforts and ensure wildlife and fi sheries populations, both game and nongame, thrive in our lakes and streams or timberlands and prairies.

Theodore Roosevelt may have stated it best in saying “In a civilized and cultivated country, wild animals only continue to exist at all when preserved by sportsmen. The excellent people who protest against all hunt-ing, and consider sportsmen as enemies of wildlife, are ignorant of the fact that in real-ity the genuine sportsman is by all odds the most important factor in keeping the larger and more valuable wild creatures from total extermination.”

Although President Roosevelt may have astutely foreseen then the need for sportsmen in the future of wildlife, we have also seen the attacks on our sportsmen’s heritage ever growing in an increasingly urbanized society.

The rights of average citizens to con-tinue hunting and fi shing using traditional methods have come under increasing fi re by those who would like to do away with these activities. In fact both Houston and Dallas area anti-hunting groups put out last minute emails and social media posts encourag-ing their members to vote against Prop 6. By adding the Right to Hunt and Fish to the Texas Constitution, we create a bar-rier against efforts by well-funded national extremist groups to erode our sporting heri-tage and hunting and fi shing activities.

—Kirby Brown, Conservation Out-reach Biologist for Ducks Unlimited

«

True GREEN



44 | J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E ® PHOTO:: CANSTOCK

story by John N. Felsher

Fea 5-Geese.indd 44 12/7/15 7:12 PM

LONG BEFORE WE COULD SEE

them, we heard their unmistakable noise

beyond the tree line on the horizon as they

formed up. Perhaps 10,000 to 15,000 of

them arose from a wet field and headed

directly toward our position at high speed.

In the trench, a dozen heavily armed camouflaged men

tensed for action. Most knew what to expect, but for

some, this would mark their first experience.

Every second stretched into an eternity as

they rapidly came closer. The air hummed

with a fast-paced staccato beat as they

crossed several hundred yards of open

field, desolate except for scant vegeta-

tion that provided little cover. In the half-light of a frosty

overcast dawn, we couldn’t see them just yet, but we

answered them with our own boisterous calls.

“Now! Take ’em,” the lookout ordered.



Flames spewed from cover as men rose to open fi re with everything they had. No, these men didn’t spring spectrally from trenches of war-torn 1917 France. Instead of a battlefi eld, these goose hunters hid in a southwest Louisiana rye grass fi eld where a dry irrigation ditch bordering the fi eld pro-vided excellent cover.

Over our heads, a feathery white tornado swirled into the stratosphere as thousands of snow geese and their blue cousins raucously cackled the alarm. The squawking white tornado peppered with darker birds spiraled upward to gain altitude and distance from our shotguns and broke into clusters. Several didn’t make it, plopping thunderously into the muddy fi eld surrounding us.

Although called “waterfowl,” geese often fi nd gleaning waste grain from dry rye, corn, pea, wheat, millet, rice or soybean fi elds more appealing that landing in freezing water.

“It’s getting harder to hunt white geese because those older geese have seen every-thing,” advised Erik Rue with Calcasieu Charters who hunts in rice fi elds near Lake Charles, La. “In the 1990s, I took part in some test hunts with electronic calls with state biologists. Some data collected from those hunts showed that the birds averaged about eight years old. Since the conservation order season opened, (see sidebar) the aver-age age probably increased. I’ve killed birds up to 18 years old, but I’ve heard of banded birds more than 30 years old.”

Unless disturbed, snow geese tend to return to the same fi elds to feed until they consume everything edible and then move to the next fi eld.

“When snow geese gather in huge fl ocks of 10,000 to 20,000 birds, they are extreme-ly diffi cult to hunt,” Rue admitted. “They are incredibly smart and alert. To consis-tently kill snows in larger numbers, people need to move around with the birds and hunt in fi elds where geese want to feed.”

Never directly hunt massive goose con-centrations. No matter how skilled, sports-men can never fool thousands of wary geese and will only chase them away. Try to locate two or more large groups and hunt between them. Pick off stragglers fl ying from fl ock to fl ock without spooking the rest.

Just a few years ago, hunters could hang several hundred white plastic bags from sticks and attract all the snow geese they wanted. Some sportsmen saved white milk jugs or bleach bottles to make cheap decoys,

perhaps adding a few windsocks in the spread to create movement. Now, sportsmen need to get more creative.

“By the time snows get to Texas, we have to do some creative thinking to kill them,” explained Lance Stancik with

Backwater Waterfowl in Garwood, Texas, who also hunts in Saskatchewan. “In the past few years, decoys evolved dramatically. We went from laying down in rag spreads to hunting large spreads of full-body decoys, perhaps 500 to 600. Even the realism of


Good calling can help bring in snows.

Pop-up blinds are great ways to stay concealed while hunting wary snows.


full-body decoys changed. They used to be on stationary pedestals, but now they swivel on stakes that mimic geese walking around when the wind moves it.”

Some people use “fl ying decoys,” light goose replicas made from nylon-type mate-rial attached to lines hanging off poles. Sportsmen can dangle several decoys off one pole. An electric motor spins the pole, making the decoys appear to fl y. The spin-ning motion also creates realistic fl apping so that the decoys mimic a small fl ock of geese landing in the decoys.

“Decoy movement is the number one ingredient for goose hunting,” McKnight affi rmed. “I’ve watched large fl ocks of snow geese across fi elds and they don’t sit still. They’re always moving. As soon as they land, they run around grabbing everything they can. They get up in the air and hop around.”

Sometimes, sportsmen “fl ag down” geese. They fl ap white or dark objects that resemble wings to create fl ash that simulates

geese landing. With incredible eyesight, geese see the movement from great distances. Curious, they might fl y over to investigate.

“I’m a big fan of fl agging geese,” Stancik recommended. “We use fl ags to position geese. The fl ags show movement. That sends out a signal to incoming geese that other geese are landing in that spot for a reason. That makes incoming geese want to land in the same spot. We call and fl ag at the same time to get birds into the correct position to shoot them.”

People can also buy various motion decoys. Some companies make decoys with battery-powered heads that move. Others attach wires and pulley systems driven by electric motors to pull the heads of decoys down toward the ground repeatedly so that they look like geese feeding. Other decoys use springs or bungee cords to create move-ment. As winds whip them around, the springs or cords snap them back in place, adding a degree of movement to otherwise lifeless decoys.

In the 1990s, companies came out with decoys that looked like birds skewered on sticks while landing. Motors inside the bodies spun the wings, creating fl ash to mimic fl apping wings. Spinning wing decoys worked exceptionally well for ducks, but not so much for wily geese. Many states banned them or curtailed their use.

“I never really had much success with spinning wing decoys on geese,” Rue recalled. “I’ve seen a lot of geese fl are from them. We do a lot of duck and goose combo hunts. Most people who use spin-ning wing decoys for ducks have them on a remote switch and turn them off when geese appear.”

Geese are much smarter than hunters give them credit for and if you want to get serious about hunting them you need to continually change things up and make things as lifelike as possible.


Snow geese are numerous and they did not get that way by being dumb. They are smart birds.


48 | J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E ® PHOTO: CHESTER MOORE

story by Marlin Stevens

Fea 4-Catfish.indd 48 12/7/15 7:12 PM

iT GOES BY MANY NAMES.

“Blue Cat”, “White Catfi sh”, “Hump-back Blue”

and “High Fin Blue” are among the names attrib-

uted to this abundant sportfi sh.

The blue catfi sh is largest freshwater game fi sh

in Texas (and third largest freshwater fi sh America

beyond the alligator garfi sh and white sturgeon) with

the state record caught by angler Cody Mullenix on Lake

Texoma weighing a whopping 121.5 pounds.

Now is a great time of year to catch big blues, particularly

in the deep water of reservoirs throughout the state but to

catch a few fi sh it is best to understand it. Let’s take a look

at fascinating facts and fi gures for this whiskered behemoth.

T E X A S F I S H & G A M E ® | J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | 49PHOTO:

Going Deep forBlue Catfi sh


• Blue catfi sh have a forked tail, and are sometimes very similar to channel cat-fi sh according to Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) offi cials. However, only the Rio Grande population has dark spots on the back and sides whereas many channel catfi sh are spotted although some adults do shed theirs. The number of rays in the anal fi n is typically 30-35, and coloration is usually slate blue on the back, shading to white on the belly. TPWD also notes that channel catfi sh have only 24 to 29 rays.

• A study from the Missouri Department of Conservation notes the senses of taste and smell are more important than sight in locating food. Researchers Robison and Buchanan and Pfl ieger suggested blue cat-fi sh feed mostly on or near the bottom and to a lesser extent in the midwater. In clear-water reservoirs, or tailwaters, blue catfi sh capture their prey by sight. Mark Ambler reported that blue catfi sh often suspend in deep water beneath schools of gizzard shad

being fed upon by striped bass and seek and eat wounded and dead shad. Before sophisticated fi sh-locating electronics, these large catfi sh, often suspended well above the bottom, were inaccessible to anglers.

• To catch big blue catfi sh you have to know where they live. In Texas there are many top locations but Lakes Texoma, Livingston, Tawakoni and Lewisville are hard to beat. The Trinity, Sabine and Brazos River also give up some huge speci-mens.

• Studies from the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge among others shows blue catfi sh have a high tolerance for salinity. And during winter large numbers of blue catfi sh can be caught in the Sabine Lake and Trinity Bay ecosystems if you know where to look.

Frank Moore, who pursues these big, brackish blues every year.

“My favorite spot to get them are the

deep, wide bends in some of the bayous. There tends to be a lot of mussel shell in some of these spots, which blues feed on and there are also quite a few crabs, which the blues and redfi sh feed on as well. If we fi nd blues in these areas, the reds are always close by,” Moore said.

He fi shes small chunks of cut mullet on a Carolina (Fish Finder) rig and targets outgoing tides.

“These fi sh will move up tight to the shorelines to feed on high tides and when it starts to trickle out you can really get on a good bite. It is very common to catch fi sh up to 15 pounds but most of them are in the fi ve to eight-pound range.”

Another spot he targets is along the edge of drop-offs in the Intracoastal.

“There are lots of big blues and reds in the ship channel during the winter. On warm afternoons when you have a high tide the dark mud heats up and the fi sh move onto there. Any time from an hour or so before peak high tide until an hour or so


Anglers should not overlook clear waters for catfi sh. Most of the bigger fi sh are in the eastern third but there are blues and big channels in Central Texas too.


after it starts falling is a good time,” Moore said.

• From the aforementioned Missouri study came some interesting notes about their historical size. Records of large cat-fi sh date back to the Lewis and Clark exploration of the Missouri River. They described large “white” catfi sh, undoubtedly blue catfi sh, reaching nearly 1.5 m in length. Heckman in his Steamboating Sixty-Five Years on Missouri’s Rivers, provides the following account: “Of interest to fi shermen is the fact that the largest known fi sh ever caught in the Missouri River was taken just below Portland, Missouri. This fi sh, caught in 1866, was a blue channel cat and weighed 315 lb. It provided the biggest sen-sation of those days all through Chamois and Morrison Bottoms. Another ‘fi sh sensation’ was brought in about 1868 when two men, Sholten and New, brought into Hermann, Missouri, a blue channel cat that tipped the scales at 242 lb.”

At the time of this writing TPWD was considering blue catfi sh regulation changes on what they said is the state’s premier fi sh-ery for the species-Lake Tawakoni.

The proposal is a no-minimum length limit, 25-fi sh daily bag limit in any combi-nation (blue or channel) of which no more than seven fi sh 20 inches and greater may be retained and only two fi sh can be 30 inches or greater in length. This regulation is designed to increase the abundance of fi sh over 30 inches, or about 10 pounds, by reducing the harvest of fi sh 20 inches and longer.

“Lake Tawakoni’s blue catfi sh fi shery is the state’s premier trophy catfi sh fi shery. Angler surveys suggest the harvest of blue catfi sh has increased in the past fi ve years. Investigations indicate that almost 60 per-cent of all blue catfi sh kept by anglers from June 2013 to May 2014 were 20 inches and larger. Reducing harvest of this size range of fi sh is expected to ultimately increase the abundance of fi sh 30 inches and longer by

approximately 14 percent.”They noted the vast majority of anglers

(85 percent) favored reducing harvest of larger blue catfi sh in exchange for increased opportunities to catch more large fi sh in the future.

Management and attitudes about blue catfi sh are changing in Texas and around the country. The thrill of catching a huge blue on rod and reel is something that has resonated with the angling public. Big blues are impressive fi sh and as you can tell by this story, they are quite interesting.

One of my biggest fi shing dreams would be to catch a 100 plus pounder on rod and reel. Then again maybe there is one of those super massive as reported in the 1800s out there somewhere, perhaps in the thick timber and deep water below a dam or in a remote bend of a river.

Just maybe…


Huge blue catfi sh are present on numerous Texas reservoirs and winter is the best time to catch them.


WHAT’S THE BEST

thing about the new year? Why,

it’s boat show season, of course.

Houston. Dallas. San

Antonio. All across Texas,

there are boat shows coming to

town in the next month or two. And whether you’re

planning to buy a new boat or just enjoy gawking at all

the gleaming fi berglass, there’s no better way for you,

your friends, and your family to see a slew of boats at

the same time, in the same place. Added bonus: boat

dealers plan on selling at these shows, so deals abound.

Ready, set, let’s go to the boat show!

New Boat TrendsOne of the most startling things you’ll see at the

boat show is the integration of technology. Yes, even

boats are becoming “smart.” A prime example can be

52 | J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E ® PHOTO: DPC

A NEW YEAR,A NEW SEASONFOR BOATING,

AND BOAT SHOWS

story by LENNY RUDOW

Fea 7-Boat Show.indd 52 12/7/15 7:18 PM

found in the new Connext system (made by and for

Yamaha). This is a touch-screen unit that not only

provides digital switching ability for systems like ballast

tank fi lling and evacuation, all electrical systems rang-

ing from lights to the stereo, and even pre-set cruising

and towing modes, it also serves as an information dis-

play for things like water depth, fuel level, and compass

heading. Essentially, it’s both a control system and an

information hub for the boat.

And Connext is not unique. Particularly in the

high-end watersports market, many manufacturers are

installing similar proprietary all-in-one control and data

systems at the helm. Yet at the same time, marine elec-

tronics manufacturers are integrating similar abilities in

their MFDs. You can mount an MFD from the likes

of Raymarine, Garmin, Simrad, or Lowrance, and use

it as a control station for much of the boat—in some

cases, even bringing Wi-Fi aboard.



For many boat owners, all this complexity isn’t really necessary. But if you’re an angler looking for a more

utilitarian fi shing boat, 2016 still holds a number of surprises for you. One of the most useful innovations we’re seeing in new model center consoles, for example, is the integra-tion of adjustable backrests for bow seating. First seen just a few years ago, virtually all center console builders are now adding them to models that offer the common V-shaped seats in the bow.

Another seating trend that’s taking off is the extension of forward console seats. In the past we always found rather uncomfortable, bench-like seating in this spot. But many builders have begun extending this seat, turning it into a full-blown lounge. Not only is it a lot more comfortable to sit in, but you

usually get a generous bulk-stowage area underneath, too.

In smaller boats, another movement in the industry is sure to be quite welcome: the shift to lower priced boat-motor-trailer packages. Several builders have come out with new-for-2016 models in the 16’ to 18’ range which MSRP at under $20,000. No, these aren’t the fanciest boats in the world and they don’t have the biggest powerplants nor the most optional equipment. But the rising cost of boats has been a major concern among middle-class boaters for years, and it’s about time manufacturers responded by offering boat-motor-trailer packages that are affordable to the average American.

Beyond these general trends in boats, you’ll fi nd a slew of new gear at the boat

show. Every major electronics manufacturer has new units hitting the market right now, ranging from simple $100 fi shfi nders to

networked systems worthy of a sportfi sh-ing yacht. Here are just a few of the other things you might encounter during a day at the show: new lifts incorporating hydraulics (instead of those rusty old cables); infl atable throw-cushions that replace the old square pads (but take up a quarter of the space); waterproof stereo speakers that hook up to your cell phone; dive masks with built-in waterproof POV cameras (and waterproof cases that turn your phone into an underwa-ter video camera); the list goes on and on.

Powerful ProgressWe’re seeing major advances in marine

propulsion, too, particularly when it comes to outboard engines. So many, in fact, that it’s worth looking at several manufacturers individually:

BRP – The big news came last year, of course, with the introduction of the G2 second-generation ETECs. These are now available in 200 to 300 horsepower models, and offer improved fuel econ-omy, faster accelera-tion, lower emissions, and improved rig-ging. We’ve had the opportunity to run a number of boats with G2’s on them during the past year, and the jury is in—these engines get a big thumbs-up.

The trend in center console seating is moving toward comfort.

Lower priced boat-motor-trailer pack-ages are another welcomed trend for 2016.

now available in 200

past year, and the jury is in—these engines get a

Evinrude

ETEC

Connext touch screen digital control system.



HONDA – The BF 90 has been tweaked to increase max RPM, to create the BF100. While that’s not a huge leap, note that it’s

a signifi cantly lighter outboard (by 112 pounds) than the BF115.

MERCURY – The entire Verado and Pro FourStroke outboard lines now benefi t from trickle-down technology, thanks to improve-ments made for Mercury’s new Verado 350. Better knock sensors, a combined lift

pump/high-pressure fuel pump, and an external

fuel/water separa-tor (replacing the fuel fi lter under the cowl) are all important changes. But one do-it-yourselfers will love is the addition of

a sticker under the cowl which has scan-

able QR codes that take you to how-to service videos. With your phone in-hand, you can learn how to

handle maintenance chores on the spot.

SUZUKI – All the major players now offer joystick control on multi-engine outboards, and Suzuki has expanded their Precision Maneuvering Control System to include 150 through 300 horsepower outboard applications. That’s what’s new, but in this case, a quick fl ash-back is also in order. In 2012 Suzuki introduced new DF15A and DF20A outboards, featuring battery-less EFI. With three seasons of hard use on a DF15A test engine—ranging from saltwa-

ter fi shing to hunting to trot-lining—we can now confi dently say that these motors are as rugged and reliable as they come. Added bonus: battery-less EFI eliminates the usual problems associated with ethanol gumming up the carburetor.

TOHATSU – The latest news from Tohatsu comes on the smaller end of the horsepower scale, with redesigned four, fi ve, and six horsepower portables. Here’s the kicker: these engines are incredibly light—the four-

horse model weighs just 57 pounds. Their 15 and 20 horse engines also got a boost, with a power tilt feature added. And since these engines are available in 15” and 20” shaft lengths, an appropriate model can be

found for everything from small pontoon boats to saltwater fi shing skiffs.

YAMAHA – Yamaha started 2015 with this introduction of six—count ‘em, six—new models including the V MAX SHO 115 and 175, the V MAX SHO 150 and 250 X-Shaft, the updated F150, and a new F8 portable. But one of the greatest advancements Yamaha has made recently has fl own under the radar screen of many boaters: their shift dampener system. This propeller feature, which has now worked its way through the major-ity of Yamaha’s propeller line-up, vastly reduces the clunk and thunk of shifting into and out of gear. If you haven’t experienced it yet, you should—the difference is dramatic.

So: are you psyched up? We sure hope so. And when you do start wandering through that fi berglass forest, use these boat show shopping tips to make it as productive as it is fun.

1. Bring a digital camera or keep your cell phone handy, and take lots of pic-tures. By the end of the day the different boats begin to run together in your mind, so back up your memory with pictures. Extra Tip: snap off a pic of the price sheet displayed on a model of interest, to continue comparison shopping when you go home.

2. Some boats will have a ton of options while others will only have a few, and that can make a boat that’s a good value appear overly expensive (or vise-versa). Break out a calculator or pad and pen, and make sure you’re comparing apples to apples.

3. Dealers go to boat shows with selling in mind. This is a good time to negotiate your best deal, so you may be able to get an option or two for free, if you’re willing to sign on the dotted line at the show.


pump, and an external

able QR codes that take you to how-to

chores on the spot.

Honda

Suzuki outboards now include

precision joystick control.

Tohatsu’s full line of outboards includes lightweight portables ranging from 2.5 to 20 horsepower.

Mercury

Verado

YamahaVC

V MaxSHO


Dream Season

WINNING ONE BASS tournament at the pro level is a major league hurdle. Doing it twice, maybe three times in a

lengthy career is epic. But pulling it off four times in a row—all in the same season, on four different lakes— is a virtual pipe dream that only Reelin’ Ray Hanselman can relate to.

Hanselman, 42, is a Del Rio native who achieved the unthinkable last October. That’s when he won the FLW Rayovac Championship on the Ohio River in Paducah, Kentucky, and took a home a handsome purse of $50,000 in cash. The win is particularly noteworthy because it closed out what may be the most phe-nomenal season ever recorded since the dawn of bass fi shing tournaments.

Here’s a recap:Hanselman is an amiable fi shing guide who

cut his bass fi shing teeth on Lake Amistad and competes in a few bass derbies on the side. He has antied up for nearly three dozen FLW events on the Triple A level since the early 2000s and notched Top 10 fi nishes in 12 of them. Until last season, however, he had never been able to close the deal and walk away with the winner’s trophy.

Then something clicked.Then it clicked again—and again after that.Hanselman made headlines all around the

country in 2015 as he ran the table on the Rayovac Texas Division fi eld. He put together an unprecedented perfect tournament season, winning three consecutive regular season events and qualifying for the year-end championship.

The dream season got underway last January when Hanselman won the season opener on Lake Amistad with a seven-pound cushion. He followed it up with another dominating perfor-mance on Sam Rayburn in April and earned his third win on Lake Texoma in May.

His total winnings after three events—$99,546—would have more than doubled with contingency bonuses had he been running a Ranger bass boat instead his trade-mark Skeeter.

Anyone who follows bass tournaments knows how diffi cult it is to win a bass tourna-ment at the pro level, much less string together several wins in the same season. In looking back, it seems likely that Hanselman has probably pinched himself more than once to make sure he isn’t dreaming.

“I was blessed,” Hanselman said following his Texoma victory. “Somehow all of the stars lined up and everything went just right at every tournament. It has to in order to win against these guys.”

Amazingly, Hanselman managed to keep the mojo fl owing right through summer leading up to the fall championship. Interestingly, his approach didn’t involve fi shing any tourna-ments. Instead, he chose to go on family vaca-tions and take care of his guide business.

“I didn’t want to do anything to risk break-ing my streak,” Hanselman chuckled. “One of the things about tournament fi shing is you don’t always catch ‘em. I didn’t want to risk having a bad tournament or doing anything that might mess with my head or break my confi dence. When you have all that momentum you never second-guess your decisions. If you have a bad tournament, it ruins it. It seems like it takes a while to get back in the groove again.”

Obviously, Hanselman’s strategy worked like a charm. A big fi sh specialist by trade, he headed to Kentucky with two things in mind. Finding unmolested groups of bass and fi guring out a way to fool them that other anglers might not catch onto.

Actually, his plan starting coming together months earlier when he purchased a specially designed river boat and used it to school himself on tailrace fi shing on the Rio Grande River below the dam at Lake Amistad. Although the Ohio River and Rio Grande are more than 1,000 miles apart, they have three things in common—lots of current, tons of rock and plenty of smallmouth bass.

“I knew we were going to be fi shing a lot current at the championship, so I wanted to learn more about how the fi sh relate to it,” Hanselman said. “Spending time below the dam at Amistad helped me a lot.”

Hanselman said he had heard the Tennessee River tailrace at the base of Kentucky Lake dam had a history of producing some big sacks “back in the day,” so that’s where he decided to check fi rst when he visited the river before it went off limits ahead of the tournament.

“I wasn’t there fi ve minutes when I had a big smallmouth cold trail my big swim bait back to the boat, and I immediately thought, hmmm…” Hanselman said. “Then, I had another one do it a few casts later.”

Thinking he might be onto something, Hanselman returned to the area on the fi rst morning of offi cial practice. His practice part-ner, Buck Hux of New Braunfels, caught a fi ve pounder on the fourth cast with an Alabama rig.

“We got out of there immediately and came back real early the next morning,” he said. “Buck caught another fi ve-pounder. At that point I got out of there for good.”

Still not realizing the full potential of a swift tailrace system, Hanselman said he didn’t make his way to the Kentucky Lake dam until two hours into the opening round. That’s when a trio of plump smallmouths weighing about 10 pounds pounced on his umbrella rig simultane-ously on his second cast.

“That’s when I realized there was a bunch of fi sh out there, not just a few,” Hanselman said.

In the days that followed, Hanselman nar-rowed his search area to three different spots where underwater rock outcroppings created current breaks with slack water off to the side. That’s where the thick-shouldered smallmouths would lay in wait to ambush small Asian carp and other bait fl ushed out by the current.

“The ideal spot had two current breaks with slack water between them,” Hanselman said. “The current was really swift, but when that A-rig would slide off into the slack water is when my hair would stand up. That’s when they would annihilate it.”

by MATT WILLIAMS :: TF&G Freshwater Editor

Texas FRESHWATER


1601 Freshwater Col.indd 56 12/7/15 7:35 PM

Fly KillerT

HE HUNTING CLUB MEM-bers were gathered in the round corner booth of Doreen’s 24-hr Eat Gas Now Cafe on a warm, Indian

Summer day when Delbert P. Axelrod, liv-ing proof that a man can function without a brain, hurried through the glass doors and thumped an object on the table.

“Here it is!”As a collective group, the membership leaned

forward to examine the bright yellow device trimmed in black.

Doc frowned. “A toy gun?”“Not just any toy gun.” Delbert grabbed if off

the table before anyone could touch the gun. “This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.” He snatched the salt shaker out of Jerry Wayne’s hand and unscrewed the cap.

“Hey, I need to salt my eggs.”“You can use this. It’ll be more fun.” Delbert

emptied the shaker into the top of the gun.“Doreen’s gonna kill you,” I said, hopefully.Delbert peeked over his shoulder. She was

talking with a customer eating at the counter. “She won’t care.”

“What do you do with it?” Wrong Willie asked.

Delbert racked the slide and I realized he was holding a shotgun.

“Do you mean this shoots…”“Salt.”About a million possibilities fl ickered through

my mind as a fl y lit on the windowsill behind Jerry Wayne’s head.

“There.” Delbert aimed the salt gun and pulled the trigger. Jerry Wayne ducked at the sharp snap, and the fl y fl ipped over, dead.

For once, the Hunting Club was stunned silent.

Wrong Willie indicated with his head. “There’s a fl y on the table. Do it again.”

Delbert shucked the slide to load again. He fi red. The fl y blew sideways as salt ricocheted softly into Doc’s coffee.

We glanced over to see Doreen glaring in our direction. The customer asked her a question, and she returned to the conversation.

Doc took a sip. “The salt took the acidity out of this coffee. I always heard that worked.”

Wrong Willie held out his hand, “Gimme.” and Delbert passed it over. “What do you call this?”

“It’s a Bug-A-Salt.”A fl y buzzed across the cafe and bumped softly

against the window. The predator look gleamed in Willie’s eye. He cocked it, aimed, and when the fl y buzzed to the other corner window, he led it just like a dove.

Crack!The full load caught the fl y and it fell like a

rock. Salt hit the window and fell softly onto the sill.

“This is ingenious!”“I want to try.” Willie passed it to Doc. He

aimed at a fl y on the table beside us that was enjoying a meal of spilled syrup, and fi red. The fl y kicked once.

Our faces reddened with excitement, as if we’d forgotten our blood pressure medicine that morn-ing. It was everything we could do not to act like kids and start shouting. So we acted like kids and argued over who would get the next shot.

It was my turn. A fl y left the window on the opposite side of the cafe and fl ew in our direction. I led him and pulled the trigger, missing by a mile. Salt dusted an empty table.

“That’s the way you shoot doves.”I cocked it and shot again, this time shooting

behind it.“Wait till it lands.”“I’m not Jerry Wayne, shooting doves off a

tree limb.”“Hey, you said you wouldn’t ever tell…”The fl y bumped the window and took off again.

This time I caught it in fl ight, and it folded.Woodrow’s turn. “I get three shots because

Rev did.”“Hey, not fair.”He shot a fl y sitting on the edge of the table. It

disappeared off the edge. He cocked again, look-ing for the next victim.

That’s when we got into trouble. With no more

targets, he shot a napkin. Salt sprayed onto the table and Willie wiped it onto the fl oor. He shot Bill Parks, who was sitting with his back to us in the nearest booth.

Bill turned. “What was that?”“Did you feel it?”“A little on my shirt. Someone throw a napkin

at me?”“Don’t worry about it.”Since the salt shaker was empty, Jerry Wayne

took the fl y gun and salted his eggs, twice, which is why he’s on blood pressure medicine.

We heard an approaching crunch, and Doreen loomed over the table. “Why is there salt all over the fl oor and what’s that noise? What are you guys up to?”

Jerry Wayne took a bite. “Top came off the salt shaker.”

“Oh, sorry. I’ll get you another.” She took the empty to the counter.

“More ammo!” Willie almost shouted and snatched the Bug-A-Salt. “This is great. There’s no limit on fl ies, no license, no fear!”

It was as if the pressure of excitement had blown a relief valve. We couldn’t contain ourselves, and nothing was safe. While one guy shot fl ies and wondered if would work on grasshoppers, spiders, and wasps, the rest of us were ordering them on our phones.

We soon got to use it outside, when Doreen fi nally associated the snaps with shots and returned to fi nd salt all over the booths, tables, and a couple of slower customers. We tried to explain that we’d solved her fl y problem, but customer complaints about salt in their sweet tea overrode her enthu-siasm…

…so we stood outside, with half a dozen stolen salt shakers, and waited for fl ying bugs.

Email Reavis Wortham atContactUs@fi shgame.com

by REAVIS Z. WORTHAM :: TF&G Humor Editor

Open SEASON


1601 Humor col.indd 57 12/7/15 7:36 PM

Pop Quiz.

IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE’VE put you boaters to the test, so let’s fi nd out how your nautical know-how stacks up against the competition. To bigin

this quiz the scene is a large reservoir, and you’re entered in a bass tournament. Dawn is just breaking, your boat is in the second wave to leave the ramp, and you fi rewall the throttle.

1. JUST BEFORE pouring on the coals, of course, you made sure your outboard was trimmed:

a. All the way up b. All the way down c. Neutral, even with the bottom of the

boat d. Three quarters of the way up

2. TO GET the maximum speed out of the boat and beat your competitors to the hotspot, once on plane and running at full tilt you’ll trim the engine up until:

a. It over-revs (then you’ll trim it back down a bit)

b. It’s in a neutral position, even with the bottom of the boat

c. You hear a howling noise from the propeller (then you’ll trim it back down a bit)

d. The boat begins to chine-walk

3. YOU’VE GOT the trim perfect and you’re zooming along the lake’s surface so fast you can feel your cheeks fl apping in the wind. A glance at your chartplotter shows you’re doing 68 knots. Dang it – you hate thinking about speed in knots. Good thing you know that 68 knots is equal to exactly:

a. 78.2 MPH b. 78.3 MPH c. 78.4 MPH d. 74.8 MPH

4. YOU SEE the hotspot you’ve been look-ing for, a series of trees lying across the bank with a sharp drop-off close by. You slow up,

shut down the big power plant, and drop in the electric trolling motor. As you move closer, which item has the biggest potential for alerting the fi sh to your presence?

a. The electric trolling motor b. Your fi shfi nder c. Your livewell pump d. Your Power-Pole

5. YOU CATCH a total hawg—get it back to the dock alive and on time, and you’re sure to clinch this thing. But it’s already a little later than you thought. If you go all the long way home, you might not make weigh-ins. If you take a short cut you should get there in time, but there’s just one problem: your boat’s static draft is 16 inches, and you need to go through an area where the water’s only 14 inches deep. Naturally, you:

a. Take the shortcut, but when you get to the shallow spot slow to an idle, and putt through with the engine tilted up as far as possible.

b. You can’t change the time, and you can’t change your boat’s draft. Go the long way as fast as you can push it, and pray for the best.

c. Pile all of your gear as far forward in the boat as possible; if you weigh down the bow enough the prop will be higher in the water, ultimately reducing your overall draft. Now, you can safely take the shortcut.

d. Firewall the throttle, take the shortcut, and don’t slow down until you either run hard aground or get back to the ramp.

6. WITH A pocket full of tournament win-nings, you decide it’s time to buy a new boat. This one’s going to be for use in the bays and creeks along the Gulf coast, where you love casting for species such as redfi sh, fl ounder, and speckled trout. That means a bay boat is probably the best choice for you. Luckily, while boat shopping, you know that when it comes to a boat’s transom deadrise:

a. More deadrise usually means a smooth-er ride

b. More deadrise usually means a deeper draft

c. More deadrise usually means less static stability

d. All of the abovee. None of the above

7. WHILE TEST-DRIVING a candidate you notice that at wide-open throttle, maxi-mum RPM is 5800. But the manufacturer recommended max RPM is 6000. This rig isn’t propped quite right. To get it to turn 6000 RPM you need to:

a. Drop the prop’s pitch an inch b. Raise the prop’s pitch and inch c. Drop the prop’s diameter an inch d. Raise the prop’s diameter an inch

8. THE NEXT boat you test drive runs great and seems well-built. You’re glad to see that the manufacturer used ______ grade stain-less-steel, for all the fi ttings and hardware.

a. 306L b. 316L c. 326L d. 516L

9. LIKE MANY boats designed to go fast in saltwater, one you’re looking at has a step in the hull. Steps get you an effi ciency boost by:

a. creating bubbles that reduce friction between the hull and the water

b. raising the hull out of the water more c. creating a pocket of air under a portion

of the hull, reducing friction between the hull and the water

d. Steps don’t get you an effi ciency boost—it’s a myth

10. YOU SEE a boat that looks great. It has a T-top and the pipework is a gorgeous blue color, thanks to powder-coating that’s on all of the boat’s pipework. But you decide to walk away, because you know that while powder coat looks great, if it gets chipped, it can’t be easily repaired. True, or false?

a. True b. False

BONUS QUESTION: YOU decide you want this boat to go fast—really, really fast. So naturally, you want the biggest out-board available on the market today. This is

by LENNY RUDOW :: TF&G Boating Editor


Texas BOATINGTexas Texas Texas Texas Texas Texas Texas Texas Texas Texas Texas

PHOTO: CREDIT

1601-Jan-ALMANAC.indd 58 12/9/15 2:17 PM


______ horsepower. a. 350 b. 400 c. 557 d. 627

Answers:

1. B. STARTING with the engine trimmed all the way down will pop you onto plane the fastest; as soon as the boat jumps over the hump, you should start the outboard trimming it up.

2. C. YOU can hear the prop howl just

prior to the engine over-revving, and this tells you the engine has exceeded maximum trim. If you answered “d,” remember that chine-walking is extremely dangerous and isn’t entirely due to engine trim; if your boat begins to chine-walk the appropri-ate response is to back off on the throttle, immediately.

3. A. ONE knot is equal to 1.15 miles per hour.

4. A. REMEMBER, we said “biggest potential”. All of these items do make some level of audible noise, but the prop noise of an electric motor (or any motor, for that mat-ter,) related to the speed it’s spinning, can grow quite loud underwater at high RPMs.

5. D. THE key word here is “static”. That’s draft at rest—but when they’re up and running, the boat needs a lot less water. Trimmed up and on a full plane, getting by in water two inches less than static draft really shouldn’t be a problem. Just don’t slow down and let the boat settle, in which case yes, you will run aground.

6. D. ALL are true statements.

7. A. DROPPING an inch of pitch usually results in an RPM increase of about 200.

8. B. 316L grade stainless-steel is the best for marine use.9. C. THEY draw air in from the sides by creating an area of low pressure, and main-tain a pocket or pockets of air under the hull.

10. A. POWDER coating looks great, but once it’s damaged there’s no easy way to touch it up.

BONUS: D. SEVEN Marine’s 627 horse-power outboard is currently the most power-ful outboard available on the market.

10+ correct - Congratulations, you’re one serious boat nut who knows his stuff.

8 – 9 correct - That’s pretty good, captain, we’d step aboard your boat any day of the week.

6 – 8 correct – You may want to brush up on your nautical know-how.

-6 correct – Keep your feet on Terra Firma, Gilligan.

Texas BOATING


by GREG BERLOCHER | TF&G Contributing Editor

Tips for Winter Trout Success

COASTAL FISHING TAKES on a different personality during the winter. Raw and raking cold fronts drop water temperatures,

thereby slowing down the activity level of the coldblooded inhabitants of the bays.

As bright bluebird skies return after a front blows itself out, water temperatures nudge back up a bit. Much of the shrimp, mullet, pinfi sh, croaker and other baitfi sh in a bay system migrate dur-ing the fall to the Gulf to spawn and overwin-ter.

Apex predators spend most of their time trying to fi nd comfort-able conditions and their next meal, unlike their daily routines dur-ing warmer seasons. Understanding the sea-sonal pattern of our bay systems will help you become a better fi sher-man.

Here a few tips to make you more pro-ductive this winter.

1. Find the warmest water

Speckled trout are no different from humans in that they don’t like to be cold. When water temperatures drop into the 50s, spend time looking for the warmest water you can fi nd.

Many of my friends insist on having the most advanced electronics available on their boats, but overlook a temperature gauge.

Water temperature is the most important factor in successful winter fi shing. I have seen a two-degree difference in water tem-perature between two adjacent fl ats.

Two-degrees is a small difference, but where do you think we found the fi sh that day? If you can’t afford a temperature gauge, invest in a handheld thermometer and check water temperature every place

you scout.

2. Avoid barren water

After seeking out the warmest possible water, look for the presence of bait in the area. Sometimes, a single jumping mullet may be the only indication that there is bait in the area.

Like a pride of lions following a herd of antelope, speckled trout will shadow schools of mullet, keeping their next meal within eyesight. If bait is present, work an area thoroughly.

3. Get out of the boatWinter fi shing requires a diligent

approach. Pay attention to the smallest details. Bottom structure and make-up are important.

Your foot can easily detect the differences between sand, mud, and shell bottoms. In the dead of the winter, bottoms featuring black mud will soak up and hold more heat than bright, sandy bottoms. Wading helps you pick up the subtle differences in the bay fl oor.

4. Dress warmly Don’t discount the importance of being

warm while you are exposed to the elements. Being cold is the number one enemy of winter fi shermen. Being uncomfortable for a long period becomes a serious mental drain, robbing you of your ability to concentrate.

The jarring strikes you enjoyed in the summer are typically soft taps during the winter. A subtle tick on the end of your line will often go unnoticed by the angler with chattering teeth and numb ears. Dress in layers and peel a layer off if you start to perspire.

5. Down size your line or leader

When water temperatures drop into the 50s, phytoplankton die and drop out of the water column, leaving bay water remarkable clear. If you fi sh with monofi lament, as I do, downsize at least one size, say, from 12-pound test to 10-pound.

In addition, braid and mono fans, both, should add a six-foot length of fl uorocarbon leader to their main line. The refractive index of fl uorocarbon leader and water is extremely close, making the leader practi-cally invisible.

Joining the leader and main line together with a trim Uni Knot allows you to reel the knot through your rod guides easier.

The Practical ANGLERThe Practical The Practical The Practical The Practical The Practical The Practical The Practical The Practical The Practical The Practical



6. Slow down Winter-chilled speckled trout are often

lethargic and won’t attack lures that move too fast. As such, winter fi shing is not easy.

I like to crank the reel with a good tempo, and slowing things down to a crawl is admit-tedly tough. If you are a disciplined angler, slow down your retrieve. This leaves your lure in the strike zone longer, allowing a trout to determine whether it’s going to eat or not. If you aren’t disciplined, invest in a reel with a slower gear ratio.

7. Winter lures & Plugs

Speckled trout aren’t the only fi sh that are lethargic during winter months. Pin perch, mullet, piggy perch and croakers slow to a crawl as well.

Baitfi sh keep their movements to a mini-mum to conserve as much energy as possible. Soft plastics with curly tails are appealing to summer trout, but look like the fakes they are to winter trout.

Slow sinking plugs and un-weighted soft plastics are better options as they linger in

the strike zone and can be retrieved agoniz-ingly slowly. If you like throwing soft plastics on jig heads, try downsizing to a 1/16-ounce jig head to allow a slower retrieve.

8. Avoid swimming pool water

Clear water may be attractive to the eye but the crystalline water allows speckled trout to give your lure a good visual exami-nation.

While scouting the bay, look for streaks of dirty water. Trout will often use the dirty water to hide their presence. Work the mar-gins of any color streaks thoroughly.

One last tip: Spend time on the water exploring after an extremely hard cold front. Extremely low tides will expose structure you won’t normally see, such as sandbars, reefs, drains, and sloughs. Make sure you take a camera and notebook.

Email Greg Berlocher atContactUs@fi shgame.com

“Understanding the seasonal pattern

of our bay systems will help

you become a better fi sherman.“


by STEVE LAMASCUS | TF&G Shooting Editor

The Perfect Rifl e Bullet

THE PERFECT RIFLE BUL-let—A bullet that will expand to at least twice its original size imme-diately upon impact with animal

fl esh.It will, always, retain 100 percent of its

original weight. No matter what size the ani-mal is, how massive its bones or thick its skin, or what the impact velocity is, the bullet will penetrate completely.

It will, also, expend 100 percent of its energy inside the animal, but will leave an exit hole for blood-trailing. The bullet will drop to the ground, instantly upon exiting, 100 percent spent.

The bullet gives up all its energy in the animal. This prevents the possibility of over-penetration and injury to other animals, man included. This perfect bullet will, always, shoot every time into the same hole, shot after shot.

There is your perfect bullet. We could add a few other things to the list, but I think you get the idea. Want to take a swing at design-ing such a bullet?

The above are the reasons that there is not now, and never will be, a perfect bullet. All we can do is design a number of bullets that if chosen correctly will perform adequately on whatever game or targets we are shooting. We must understand, however, that no one bullet will perform adequately for all our shooting needs.

The person shooting prairie dogs needs a very frangible bullet. He wants a bullet that will practically explode on impact, and not ricochet. The bullet must stand up to high velocity without coming apart in the air.

The bullet should also be extremely accu-rate, since he will be taking shots at very long range at very small targets. It must, also, have

a high ballistic coeffi cient, because he needs it to shoot as fl at as possible, losing its velocity slowly, to aid those long, long shots. This is where the hotshot .22s are the best bet.

The coyote hunter wants a bullet that will expand rapidly, but not exit. If he intends to sell the hide, he does not want a big bloody hole in it, but he does want to kill the animal in its tracks.

He may need a larger caliber and heavier bullet than the prairie dog hunter. If he does not intend to sell the hide, he may opt for an even larger caliber, even his deer rifl e. I have shot a couple of hundred coyotes with a .25-06, which has been my favorite coyote rifl e since I was a youngster.

I generally use 85- or 87-grain bullets of fairly fragile construction. In the .22 calibers I like the 55-grain bullets, and in the .243 I prefer either 80- to 87-grain bullets.

The deer hunter wants a bullet that will readily expand, but that will still penetrate the animal completely and leave an exit hole to assist in blood trailing, should that be necessary.

He does not want a bullet that is too tough, because it will not transmit suffi cient energy to the animal to cause a quick death. Neither does he want a bullet intended for varmints, as it will expand too rapidly and not give suffi cient penetration on angling shots or if bone is struck. A good minimum for deer is a .243 caliber with at least a good, tough 85-grain bullet, such as the Barnes TSX or Nosler Partition, and a 100-grain is better.

The elk hunter wants a bullet that is tough enough to penetrate a couple of feet of elk, getting to the vitals from almost any direction. He also wants a bullet that has a high ballistic coeffi cient, providing the lowest possible trajectory to aid in making long shots, should that be necessary. This is where the super-premium bonded-core bullets start to be worth their price.

The last elk I shot was killed at more than 300 yards, with one shot from a 7mm Weatherby Magnum fi ring a 160-grain Nosler AccuBond.

The moose hunter wants the toughest soft point bullet he can fi nd. He knows that it may have to penetrate a few feet of moose meat to get to the vitals. It must be tough enough to crash through the bridge girder-like bones of an animal that can shade a ton in weight. A good minimum here is a .30-06 with a very tough 180-grain bullet, or a .35 Whelen with a 250-grain projectile.

The hunter of the largest bears wants a bullet that will penetrate and crush bones. He is not worried much about how it performs at long range, but rather how it will perform on an ill-tempered brown bear at 30 feet. It must be tough, above all other qualities, but still expand to cause a quick death. A .338 Winchester Magnum shooting 250-grain bonded core bullets is a good choice here.

The hunter of Africa’s elephant, Cape buffalo, hippo, and rhino, wants a bullet that will not expand at all. He would prefer a solid steel bullet if one could be made that would shoot well and not ruin his rifl e barrel.

He settles for bullets with tough jackets of mild steel and lead cores or bullets made of solid copper. In this case a bullet that mush-rooms is a bullet failure and could cause his death, rather than the death of the animal.

This calls for the really big bores such as the .458 Winchester, .470 Nitro Express, and others of this clan, fi ring solid bullets of as much as 500 grains and even more. The minimum here is a .375 H&H fi ring a 300-grain solid bullet.

So, you see, a hunter must be wise when he selects his bullets. He must know what is required for the game he intends to hunt and must realize that no one bullet or caliber will do everything. So before you head to the store to buy your next box of ammo, do a bit of research to see what you really need, not what the salesman needs to get off his shelves.

Email Steve LaMascus atContactUs@fi shgame.com

Texas GUNS



Industry INSIDERIndustry Industry Industry Industry Industry INSIDERINSIDERINSIDERINSIDERINSIDERINSIDERINSIDERINSIDERINSIDERINSIDERINSIDERINSIDERINSIDERINSIDERINSIDER

Fishing Tackle Unlimited Opens Sugarland StoreAFTER MONTHS OF PLANNING AND construction, Fishing Tackle Unlimited’s newest location, Southwest Freeway at Sugar Creek Blvd. in Sugar Land, is com-plete.

The giant Houston outdoor retailer celebrated and kicked off the holiday season with a grand opening held on Dec. 3. The store opened its doors at 9 am with great deals on perfect gifts for angler on every-one’s Christmas List. The fi rst 200 custom-ers were given a free a Simms T-Shirt.

In addition to the largest selection of fi sh-ing tackle and fi shing accessories anywhere, FTU is excited also to have the fi rst Simms Edition, Kraken 13.5 Elite, Jackson Kayak at the grand opening. While visiting the store, shoppers are invited to register to win this special-edition kayak that sports Simms colors and is loaded with accessories, includ-

ing a Go Pro Hero 4 camera and Werner paddle.

Doug Pike from SportsTalk 790 and Texas Fish & Game was on hand to share

announcements and offer special giveaways during the grand opening festivities.

Check the FTU website, www.fi shing-tackleunlimited.com, for updates on grand opening specials and prizes.

FTU is the largest fi shing-specifi c retailer in the world. Its current stores are at 12800 Gulf Freeway and 8723 Katy Freeway.

T E X A S F I S H & G A M E ® | J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | 65PHOTO: FTU

From left, Danny and Joe Meyer cut the ribbon.

FTU’s new Sugar Land store.


Fishing and Hunting Celebration of HeroesWE OFTEN ASSOCIATE THE TERM ‘celebration’ with a boisterous and spirited crowd enjoying the moment. Although that was certainly the tone of the majority of Trinity Oaks’ Hero Celebration event for veterans, there were quiet moments of heal-ing and introspective peace.

After a long day in the fi eld, hunting for trophy nilgai, Trinity Oaks supporter and singer/songwriter Thom Shepherd sang “Riding with Private Malone” acoustically around the campfi re for the veterans.

One of the veterans asked, “Are you seri-ous...? You really wrote that song?”

The hardened war veteran choked up with emotion and said that when he buried his best friend who was killed in combat they had played that song at his funeral. Shortly thereafter he asked Thom to play it again.

Trinity Oaks, a San Antonio based nonprofi t, which hosts hunting and fi shing outreach programs throughout the world, recently held their annual veterans’ Hero Celebration event in Texas. This year’s retreat was for ten veterans who were from the Army, Navy, and Marine military branches. Trinity Oaks’ Hero Celebrations serve Purple Heart and live combat veterans of all confl icts and all generations. Events are designed for therapeutic time outdoors and to show humble appreciation to the men

and women who have served and sacrifi ced. After an escort of 75 motorcyclists from

San Antonio, the veterans were treated to four days of world-class trophy nilgai

hunting on the El Sauz Ranch in Port Mansfi eld, Texas. The veterans hunted, fi shed, enjoyed gourmet meals, and live music every evening around the campfi re. A veteran described his experience as “men-tally renewing” because of the “amazing time bonding with the volunteers and other

veterans.” Trinity Oaks works hard to show veterans they are not alone and support them to redefi ne their new normal after military service.

Many of the veterans on this year’s Hero Celebration had sustained IED injuries or had received sniper fi re leaving them with

traumatic brain injuries, PTSD, or physi-cal disabilities. Through adaptive methods, such as Trinity Oaks’ Action Trackchair, a customized all-terrain wheelchair on tracks,

veterans moved beyond physical limita-tions to enjoy the hunting and fi shing with increased mobility and independence.

Trinity Oaks depends heavily on their volunteers to support the outreach work. Recently Eric Gonzales was made a new Advisory Council member and was asked why he supports Trinity Oaks. “After being in the military and being deployed, not all of my friends returned home; [volunteering] helps me deal with my own issues. I want to make a difference as much as I can to those who did come home,” replied Gonzales, an Air Force veteran.

At the end of each trip the harvested fi sh and game are processed and given to the participants families or distributed to others who are in need of a nutritious meal. Trinity Oaks’ support does not end with the event. In fact, it is only the beginning as Trinity Oaks facilitates continued support through

event alumni reunions, family gatherings, caregivers retreats, and opportunities for our service men and women to volunteer in their community – which ensures the cycle of giv-

66 | J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E ® PHOTOS: TRINITY OAKS

Industry INSIDER


ing back continues.Do you know or are you a wounded vet-

eran who would benefi t from a therapeutic outdoor retreat?

Complete the online application from available on www.trinityoaks.org.

The Cost of WarWebsite: www.costofwar.orgDisabled veterans suffer from much high-

er rates of suicide, depression, violence, and unemployment than other Americans, which subsequently degrades both their and their families’ quality of life.

The VA publishes that 22 veterans commit suicide daily, and the rate for young veterans, the 700,000 who have served in

Iraq and Afghanistan over the past 10 years, is growing.

The effect of depression and its associ-ated problems is beyond personal for these

wounded heroes as well – it destroys their families and encumbers their communities with associated costs of social services, vio-lence, and unproductive citizens.

Two million children live with war veter-ans, and as many as 500,000 are clinically depressed.

The problem is not solvable via military resources alone – the military clearly states that community resources beyond veteran services must be developed and aided to suc-cessfully help our heroes and their families.

How Trinity Oaks Helps

• Therapeutic programs in nature have been proven to “lift spirits” for veterans,

positively impacting their emotional states and improving their ability to once again enjoy life and their families.

• Trinity Oaks is fi lling as much of that

gap as we can by serving veterans with dream hunts and outdoor adventures and providing retreats for them and their families.

• Trinity Oaks currently serves 100+ veterans and their families annually with a diverse and unique set of outdoor hunting and fi shing programs.

Trinity Oaks Mission:To use hunting, fi shing, and other out-

door activities as a platform to give back and make a difference in the lives of others.

• Over 100,000 lb. of game meat pro-cessed and distributed to those in need.

• Trinity Oaks provided approximately 500,000 healthy, protein rich meals to hun-gry individuals and families in Texas and Northern Mexico.

Youth • 350 youth participants where infl u-

enced with positive hunting, fi shing, and other outdoor experiences.

• Trinity Oaks positively impacted the lives of 350 kids from Texas.

Veterans • 189 Military HEROES participated

in over 30 events in 5 states and harvested more than 200 animals.

• We said thank you to these men and women who have sacrifi ced so much for our freedom.

Paige’s Place, a handicapped accessible

bay home and fi shing peir for veteran and disabled participant fi shing experiences in Port Mansfi eld was recently completed.

The $120,000+ remodel budget was funded by donors.

—by Trinity Oaks



Xpress Lineup of 2016 BoatsBOATING INDUSTRY LEADER, Xpress Boats of HotSprings, Arkansas recently introduced its 2016 product line at www.xpressboats.com.

“We are most excited about our new offering, featuring a complete update to our popular

Bayou series, stemming from a col-laborative relationship with our marketing partner, Jim

Ronquest of RNT Calls. We’re also introducing our new Bass Xclusive Pro series, which has been built on the famed Hyper-Lift Pad Hull design and xciting updates to our entire host of products” said Vice President, Rory Herndon.

Xpress Boats, family owned and oper-ated by the Herndon family, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this upcoming year. With humble roots, Xpress Boats solidifi ed its legacy in an old schoolhouse in Friend-ship, Arkansas in 1966 when its founder, Kermit Bryant, had a dream to develop an “all-welded” aluminum boat. Today, that dream is a reality as Xpress Boats oper-ates out of a state of the art manufacturing facility in nearby Hot Springs. As a major employer in the community, Xpress Boats continues to produce top of the line, high performance all-welded aluminum boats for just about any application.

Mann’s New SuperfrogsMANN’S INTRODUCES 6 NEW COL-ors to its SuperFrog lineup. Presenting, LadyBug, Showgirl, FireTiger, GoldDig-ger, Midnight Blue, and RedNeck, these frogs present unique color styles to an already killer bait. This unique hollow-body lure sets the standards for frog fi shing, with twin skirted legs, a premium hook system,

and each lure is hand-crafted in the USA. Available in 3/8 oz size, this frog won’t break the bank either at under $10 retail.

Mann’s Bait Company, a leading manufacturer of all types of artifi cial lures,

produces the industry’s most widely recog-nizable brands for fresh and saltwater fi sh-ing markets. All of our lures are manufac-tured right here in America, and

Fish and Game GEAR

68 | J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E ® PHOTOS: XPRESS BOATS, MANN’S BAITS,GROVETEC, REMINGTON CUTLERY

Xpress Bass Xclu-sive Pro Series.

Mann’s SuperFrogs


distributed nationally, as well as in over 50 countries around the world. For a complete selection of styles, colors and availability go to www.mannsbait.com.

The Versatile Grovtec Backpack THE GT BACKPACK SLING OFFERS versatile options to hunters for safe-carry of rifl es and shotguns when trekking through the woods or riding to hunt locations on ATV/UTV’s. By slinging the fi rearm safely across the middle of the hunter’s back similar to a backpack, this comfort-able, shock-absorbing sling evenly distrib-utes fi rearms weight and prevents slipping

off shoulders allowing hunters to carry their trusty hunting gun safely and securely.

“We have been anxious to talk about our Backpack

sling,” states Kim Gra-ham of GrovTec.

“Since our staff consists

of avid hunt-

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The Backpack Slings combines two

GT padded slings, which absorb shock without the rebound that some other slings possess. Featuring a tapered design, the width of the sling at the load-carrying position to spreads weight evenly, and the design offers integrated thumb loops reliev-ing tension on hands and forearms as well as offering a stabilizing platform for the fi rearm when ready to shoot. The sling also incorporates a long-lasting, non-skid material that holds just enough to keep the fi rearm in place without inhibiting a hunter’s ability to quickly shoulder.

Also available in standard nylon web, all GT Backpack slings include sewn-in GT locking swivels that resist the strain of over 350 pounds of tension and are known for outstanding engineering and unsur-passed durability. All parts are made and manufactured in the USA. Recommended Retail $31.45-$49.00.

Remington F.A.S.T. 2.0 Assisted OpenerRUGGED PERFORMANCE AT Affordable Price...Anyone looking for a rugged assisted opening lockback with a great blade at a very affordable price will appreciate the new F.A.S.T. 2.0 R11609

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This new assisted opener is from Remington’s Sportsman™ Series of

imported knives that go through an intensive quality inspection

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Grovtec sling

distributed nationally, as well as in over 50 countries around the world. For a complete selection of styles, colors and availability go to

The Versatile Grovtec Backpack THE GT BACKPACK SLING OFFERS versatile options to hunters for safe-carry of

off shoulders allowing hunters to carry their trusty hunting gun safely and securely.

“We have been anxious to talk about our Backpack

sling,” states Kim Gra-ham of GrovTec.

“Since our staff consists

of avid hunt-

ers,

we were able to fi eld test it and even we were surprised at the ease of use, comfort, and level of safe-carry that this innovative design

The Backpack Slings combines two GT padded slings, which absorb shock without the rebound that some other slings

ounces. Retail price is only $39.99.

Remington’s Sportsman™ Series of imported knives that go through

an intensive quality inspection and are backed by a Life-

time Warranty.

For more infor-mation about Rem-ington Knives, visit remingtonblades.com.

we were able to fi eld

F.A.S.T.2.0 fromRemingtonCutlery.


Being Brave Pays Off

THE FACT IS THAT JANUARY is not the most comfortable month to run the bay in search of fi sh. So it’s understandable that so many

people choose to stay indoors rather than get out and expose themselves.

For those who are willing to brave the elements, however, the Sabine ecosystem can really pay off. Years of logging countless hours of wintertime fi shing has taught us a thing or two. For starters, you have to be disciplined enough to grind it out for several hours in less than desirable conditions, hop-ing for one or two big bites.

Also, fi shing the clearest water that you

can fi nd is a key ingredient for success. Don’t waste your time hitting spots with murky water. Key on areas with nice mud bottoms that are holding mullet. The fi sh will be looking for areas with the warmest water. Clear water warms faster then murky water, and mud warms quicker and retains heat better than sand.

Although the difference in water tem-perature may seem very little to us, it can be huge to the fi sh. The slightest variance in water temperature can mean the difference between casting and catching. It may only be a couple of degrees or less but that is very signifi cant to the fi sh in cold water.

Experience has also taught us that straight tailed plastic baits are more effective than those with a lot of movement. Wobbly baits like curl tails don’t really do much for these cold-blooded fi sh in cold water. A bet-ter scenario is to offer them a straight tailed soft plastic. Use the lightest jig head that the elements will allow and gently twitch it once it’s on the bottom. As usual, the slower the better when their metabolism is low.

Other good bait choices are slow-sinking mullet imitations such as Mir’O Lure Catch 2000 and Catch V as well as Corky Original and Devils. These baits are designed to sink very slowly, so give them time to get down then twitch and retrieve very slowly. If you’ve got good sunlight penetrating the water, your best bet would be to use darker or natural-colored baits. Red Shad, Morning Glory and natural mullet or shad work well in bright sun conditions. Lighter colors like chartreuse, limetreuse and opening night are much more effective when the sky is overcast.

The eastern bank of Sabine Lake has multiple bayous, cuts and drains that empty into the bay. Some of these open up into big shallow ponds that have their own drains and cuts.

Because of the large amount of water that moves in and out with the tides, your chances of fi nding decent water to fi sh somewhere along the eastern shoreline are pretty good. If you’re lucky enough to fi nd clear water that’s also holding bait, you’ll probably be happy you got out and endured the elements.

THE BANK BITELOCATION: Fish Pass (HWY 87 at Keith Lake)

SPECIES: Croaker, Whiting, Redfi sh, Black Drum

BAITS/LURES: Fresh Dead Shrimp, Cut Mullet

BEST TIMES: All day with moving tide

Email Eddie Hernandez atContactUs@fi shgame.com

Hotspot Focus :: by Capt. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

SABINE Area



Here We Go Again.

ANOTHER NEW FISHING year begins this month, and Janu-ary usually sees a slow start for coastal fi shing activity.

Over the decades there have been many seasons when I tried to be on a boat headed offshore to kick off the New Year, hoping for a good catch of red snapper as an appropri-ate beginning. Other seasons I might have been fortunate to be in a crew with their sights set on that year’s fi rst blue marlin for our area of the Texas Coast.

Although that never actually happened, it sure felt exciting to be trying. After experi-encing more “change” than I ever wanted to believe in for too many areas of our lives—things that once upon a time a man could avoid by going deep water fi shing (a favorite line of mine from George Rieger’s excellent book, Profi les In Saltwater Angling, was in his chapter on Ernest Hemingway, where he describes the great author’s method of dealing with the dark days of the great depression as simply “staying offshore, as much as possible.” Works for me. Or used to anyway).

If the weather on the fi rst day of January 2016 is suitable to roaming past that imagi-nary line in the sand drawn nine miles off the beach to mark the end of Gulf waters regu-lated by the state of Texas, any red snappers that might be caught will have to be released, even if the angler is pretty sure that despite his best efforts the fi sh is unlikely to survive.

This is true even if a waiting porpoise is ready to make a snack of it as soon as it hits the water. The “Snapper Wars” are far from over, and right now “we, the people” are still losing.

Some almost meaningless changes to red snapper rules during the summer of 2015 “gave” one percent more of the TAC,

or Total Allowable Catch, to recreational fi shermen, but the split with commercial interests is still 51 percent to 49 percent. The recreational guys are still expected to over catch their quota, leading to early season shut-downs. The red snapper is traditionally a cold weather species that kept the charter-for-hire boats in business over the winter. Unfortunately, red snapper fi shing is now relegated to the hot summer months, or rather to a few days in the hot summer months.

The Gulf can be a cruel environment in winter, even dangerous, but it still offers a wild beauty and a sense of fulfi llment not many other activities can provide. Personally, I have always felt that the only feeling more moving than clearing the jetties early in the morning might be the one that comes as your boat slides back through those same rocks—safely—at the end of a success-ful day’s fi shing.

Sadly, if red snapper and most grouper species are taken out of the equation as they have been, a winter day on the Gulf might

not be very productive. Trying to target vermillion snapper and legal grouper these days means having to throw back a whole bunch of nice red snappers, which is not a fi sh that reacts well to catch-and-release, no matter what some in the regulation business might suggest.

A good alternative for those who want to go offshore and bring home some fi sh is the Spanish mackerel. Many fl at days in the cooler months will see huge schools of these fi sh surfacing offshore, feeding on small bait-fi sh. Appropriately sized white and yellow jigs will usually get them going, either slow trolling along the outside of the school, or from a drifted boat with chum.

Spanish macks are good light tackle sport fi sh, and better eating than their larger cousins, the king mackerel. Best of all, the bag limit is very generous, and the fuel bill to fi nd them is not going to require a second mortgage on your home.

Inshore fi shing will be the usual winter fare, with success dependant on water con-

Hotspot Focus :: by Capt. MIKE HOLMES

CONTINUED ON PAGE 73 u

GALVESTON AreaGALVESTON GALVESTON GALVESTON GALVESTON GALVESTON GALVESTON GALVESTON GALVESTON GALVESTON GALVESTON GALVESTON



Cold Weather Rewards

MY WIFE JANET AND I went kayak fi shing in Oyster Lake last year in late January. The air temperature was 65°F

and it was partly cloudy, wind was calm, water very clear, the barometric pressure was 29.95 and falling, and the tidal movement was strong.

We launched our kayaks at 10 a.m. on a little peninsula near the bridge. Then we paddled east for about a half mile and drift fi shed. I had a couple of redfi sh on and lost them, and Janet didn’t get any hits, so we paddled to the shoreline, near the bridge. We stopped for a chat with a kayak fi sherman

who was on his way home with a full stringer of reds over 24 inches each.

He said that he had launched before sunrise and paddled to the south side of the lake near the old Intracoastal Waterway. He fi shed with red and white-four-inch-Super-Shad Hogie soft plastic lures. In addition to catching his limit, he was broken off by a couple more redfi sh.

According to Texas Fish & Game maga-zine’s “Tides and Prime Times,” he was catching his fi sh during a “major fi shing period.” By the time we had fi nished talking, a 10 mph south wind had come up, and the south side of the lake was a mile and a half paddle away. Nevertheless, I said “Are you up for paddling to the south side of the lake?”

“Sure, let’s go,” she said.At the south shore of Oyster Lake I had

a red on briefl y and lost it, and Janet had a good sized redfi sh on for an extended time and lost it. Then we started a drift back to the bridge. I caught a 24-inch redfi sh and she caught a 28-inch, 8-pound red.

Had we gone out at sunrise and hit the

major fi shing period, we might have done better. The places we fi shed in Oyster Lake can be fi shed by boat as well, but you have to know where the oyster reefs are.

We went on a near-perfect weather day, but brutally cold days come along every few years in January. Texas Parks and Wildlife closes some deep areas to fi shing if there is a freeze event, which is defi ned as a time when air temperatures are below 32°F for three or more days. This is because fi sh congregate in holes where the water is a little warmer at depth.

Water temperatures in January are typical-ly in the fi fties, but can get much colder. This drives trout, redfi sh, and some fl ounders out of the bays and into the Colorado and Tres Palacios Rivers. The way to fi nd the fi sh in the rivers is to drift and fi sh, preferably using live shrimp (if live shrimp is not available use frozen shrimp) until you hit a concentration of fi sh, and then anchor.

OffshoreRed snapper season is closed in federal

waters, beyond nine miles offshore; but cold weather and water move red snappers to within the nine-mile, Texas limit, making January a great time to fi sh. You can keep four snappers per person, the fi sh have to be at least 15-inches in length, and you must use circle hooks.

At present the closest large underwater structure out of Matagorda is The Rubber Ship sixteen miles southwest (GPS 28 22 469, 96 11 145). There are rigs visible from Matagorda Beach that sometimes hold red snappers in the winter. You can fi nd bot-tom structure by just drifting, watching your sounder, and marking that spot. Dale Shively, Leader of the Artifi cial Reef Program at Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said that next winter we will be able to fi sh a new 160-acre reef that will be put into place about seven miles offshore from Matagorda Beach in the spring and summer of 2016.

Live bait is best for red snappers, but if you can’t catch or fi nd live bait use sardines.

Hotspot Focus :: by MIKE PRICE

MATAGORDA AreaMATAGORDA MATAGORDA MATAGORDA MATAGORDA MATAGORDA MATAGORDA MATAGORDA MATAGORDA MATAGORDA MATAGORDA MATAGORDA



Bigger bait will attract bigger red snappers, and whole fi sh work better than cut bait. The tackle that I use for red snappers consists of: a fi ve-foot-eight-inch-extra-heavy Shimano rod, Avet LX reel, a four-ounce egg sinker (heavier if the current is really strong) with a bead on each side rigged between two swivels, and a three-foot, 80-pound-test leader, with a 6/0 Gamakutsu Octopus circle hook.

Sometimes snappers can be found at all depths. Therefore, when I lower the bait, I stop and wait a few seconds at various depths. If I don’t get bite, I’ll go to the bottom and come up a couple of reel cranks. When snappers are there, your bait is usually taken within seconds, so you have to be ready. To get a good hookset with a circle hook, I wait until the fi sh has the bait in its mouth and begins to swim. Then, using a steady, sweeping motion, I pull the rod tip up and simultaneously begin to turn the reel handle.

Cool January water temperatures will con-centrate fi sh in deep water in the Intracoastal Waterway, the rivers, and deep holes in the bays. Red snappers like cool water because it has more oxygen so they move closer to shore

in the winter, and as long as you are fi shing less than nine miles off shore you can keep four snappers per person.four snappers per person.four snappers per person.

THE BANK BITEALONG FM 2031, the road that parallels the Old Colorado River, between Rawlings bait store and Matagorda Bay Nature Park are two public fi sh-ing piers. These piers create access to deep water

where trout and redfi sh like to hang out when the water is cold. There is usually a tidal current mov-ing water past these piers, which stimulates the bite. Live or dead bait works well, but be sure to use at least a two-ounce sinker to hold your bait steady in the current.

Email Mike Price atContactUs@fi shgame.com

ditions and tides. A careful day on the bay is worth the effort just to study the bottom features exposed by lower than normal tides for use later in the year. For actually fi shing in January, deep spots are favored—around the jetties might be best—and the scent of dead bait worked slowly might be the ticket to success.

THE BANK BITELOCATION: Deeper water around jetties,

beachfront rock groins and piers, deep “holes in coastal streams, and deep reefs in the bays.

SPECIES: Drum and sheephead can be trip sav-ers, but some reds and trout are still around.

BEST BAITS: Dead bait that leaves a scent trail and live baits with a wiggle factor.

BEST TIMES: Watch the tides carefully, and plan trips accordingly.

Email Mike Holmes atContactUs@fi shgame.com

t CONTINUED FROM PAGE 71

Focus: GALVESTON


Seeing Red in January

COASTAL ANGLERS LOVE nothing more than being able to fi sh in cooler weather, so they nat-urally enjoy the month of January.

It’s a month of transition for so many things, so it seems to be anything but a bor-ing month for so many reasons. For one, water temperatures begin to fall drastically, changing from that of cool to that of cold.

Because of this, the fi sh behavior also undergoes change this month as the fi sh begin acting as though they have stage fright and lockjaw. They suddenly become very selective eaters and can be very hard to entice using the things that worked for catch-ing them over the past few months when it was warmer.

The places where the fi sh hang out also change this month, as the they often tend to begin looking for a steady food supply above mud, or shell, or both, instead of above sand and grass as they did during the summer and fall months. As a result, January generally marks a time of the year in which anglers, too, are required to change in order to be successful while fi shing for cold-water fi sh.

From a tactical standpoint, there’s a list of things anglers can do differently when fi shing during colder months of the year. Things like slowing the retrieve of their lure to facilitate lethargic fi sh, throwing dark-col-ored lures to provide the preferred silhouette, using fl uorocarbon instead of monofi lament to enhance casting distance, and performing different styles of rigging to entice a strike are all standard items on the list.

Probably the two biggest changes folks can make to their fi shing habits for the month of January are the species of fi sh they target and the structure over which they target them. I’m talking about cold-weather redfi sh that many people fi nd many times in

January whenever they happen to be fi shing over shell that’s textured with mud, or a very soft and muddy sand mixture.

Now then, a couple things may need to be clarifi ed here regarding shell before mov-ing on. When I say the word “shell” in refer-ence to January redfi sh, I’m not just talking about the large-sized oyster shell that we’re ever so accustomed to fi nding in the form of reefs, or pads.

When hunting these fi sh in cold water, it has become customary for anglers to make an effort to pinpoint any kind of shell. This means pieces of outer-body shells from any other mollusks typically found in the bay system, such as mussels or clams. Over the years, this has allowed anglers more success than failure when searching for reds once the water has turned really cold.

How do you go about fi nding these shell-rich locations? The answer is simple, but the effort can prove to be time consuming. Many anglers have spent endless hours scouting (and walking) newly exposed bay fl oor areas during periods of extreme low tide, such as immediately after the passage of strong wintertime cold fronts.

The weather doesn’t always cooperate on such days, and you can spend the entire day with freezing hands and cold ears. However, the rewards can be astronomical if you’re willing to put in the time and effort. Remember to mark-up and make notes on your favorite hot spot fi shing maps.

A lot of area drains out of the back lakes and into the main bay system. These are always good places to start looking for small, submerged oyster shell patches.

If you fi nd some of these smaller oyster pads situated close to where the drain emp-ties into the bay, position yourself on the bay side during a somewhat strong falling tide. You should be within casting distance of the mouth. This allows you to retrieve your bait in a natural fashion while utilizing the fl ow of the outgoing current to your advantage.

A lot of times these reds can be found hovering over the oyster pads at the drain openings as they wait for their food source to

be swept within striking range. Depending on how cold the temperature actually is, the strike can sometimes be very minimal, resem-bling nothing more than your bait rubbing against one of the oyster shells.

When this is the case, try slowly lower-ing your rod tip, then reel in any slack line before attempting to set the hook. It’s very easy to miss these fi sh when they’re hitting like this.

Some really good wintertime fi shing for reds still comes from areas located in the upper end of San Antonio Bay adjacent to the lower stretches of the Victoria Barge Canal. It’s an upper bay delta area that historically has been more brackish in nature than that of San Antonio Bay itself.

Although a wide variety of shellfi sh are found in the neighboring bays and rivers, two species in particular serve as primary food sources for redfi sh and trout. One is the eastern oyster commonly found in low-salt environs. The other one, the one that’s really popular among the redfi sh, is the rangia clam, found mostly in brackish surroundings.

As we all know, the redfi sh can tolerate brackish water quite well, and they have a habit of feeding on mollusks and crabs in very shallow water. But for other unknown reasons, the redfi sh love these clams during periods of cold weather.

I realize that looking for different types of shell may not be something you consider a glamorous task, but it can be quite effective. For those willing to spend the time and effort to learn this simple technique, the reward can be truly amazing.

Here’s to hope for a very prosperous, safe, and Happy New Year for us all.

Contact Capt. Chris Martin at bayfl [email protected] visit bayfl atslodge.com

Hotspot Focus :: by Capt. CHRIS MARTIN

UPPER MID CoastUPPER MID UPPER MID UPPER MID UPPER MID UPPER MID UPPER MID UPPER MID UPPER MID UPPER MID UPPER MID UPPER MID



Problem with the ICW?

THE COMMENT WAS “BOT-tom fi shing snow birds.” He con-tinued “They always fi sh in the Intracoastal.”

“At least they stay out of our way,” the old salt said.

“They might just know something WE don’t know,” I retorted, trying not to pick a fi ght. It was January and the guiding business was slow.

We were at the local bait stand/boat ramp more out of habit than anything else. Out of the four guides, no one had any trips, and the local hang out seemed like a good place to sip some hot coffee.

“They never spend any money, those snow birds” he said. “They are so tight they squeak when they walk.”

“Pot calling the kettle black,” I said. “You run ‘may-pop’ tires on your truck and trailer. You haven’t re-lined your reels in fi ve years. You wear patch-work jeans, mostly so clients will feel sorry for you and give you a big tip. I have it on good authority you even wash paper plates, and the sad truth is you have more money than all the rest of us put together.”

That brought a cackle and a laugh from the hang out group

“You are one to talk,” he said. “You haven’t put a new motor on your boat in six—no, seven years. By God at least I have a new motor.”

“You have a newer motor that was willed to you from a dead relative,” I said. “Otherwise your motor would be older than mine.”

“I guess we both are provident,” he said proudly. “You know, saving for a rainy day.”

“I’m thinking that doesn’t recommend us much,” I retorted. “Besides you probably got that word ‘provident’ off of some cereal box, not really knowing what it means.”

“I looked it up,” he said. “If these folks from out of town want to brave this cold weather and fi sh in the dead of January, more

power to them.”“It could just be they’ve found a best kept

secret, fi shing the deeper waters of the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway),” I suggested.

“I’d rather go home and fi sh in a bucket” he said pointedly.

“Got one in my truck,” I said. “I’ll let you use it for a fee.”

Wise anglers become familiar with the ICW in their area. The simple reason is it offers deeper water protection for bait as well as predator fi sh during the colder months, such as January.

A bit like our fresh water lakes, the deeper water offers temperature protection and acts as a host to bottom dwelling baits like sand eels, shrimp, crabs and reef worms, to name just a few.

This is not intended to be a history lesson, but here are a few facts about the extensive ICW that traverses much of the southern and

eastern coast lines of our fair country.1. IT SPANS almost 3,000 miles2. ITS CONSTRUCTION was meant to be a continuous water way from Brownsville up to New York but the necessary canal through Florida was never completed so it’s now seen as two different parts, the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico.3. THE ROUTE is federally maintained. For the most part it is predictable as far as depth is concerned. 4. THE ICW route is used mostly used for transporting sulfur, petroleum products, chemicals, piping. In our area, it’s not unusu-al to see vast amounts of sand/soil that we locals affectionately call “the moving moun-tains of Rockport.”

The many chemicals and the amount thereof are a defi nite concern of mine. Some of these chemicals are lethal and can wreak havoc on this sensitive ecosystem. A spill like the Exxon Valdez spill could spell absolute disaster for the area in the general vicinity of such a mishap.5. DURING WORLD War II, the ICW

Hotspot Focus :: by Capt. MAC GABLE

ROCKPORT Area



was patrolled as a buffer from enemy subma-rine attacks on the mainland.6. LUCKILY FOR Texas, the heaviest commercial traffi c is between New Orleans, Louisiana and Mobile, Alabama, with high concentrations close to the mouth of the Mis-sissippi.7. THE MAINTAINED water depth var-ies along its route with the lower limit being about six feet, and the deepest up to almost 20 feet, which brings us, back home to the intent of this article.

The ICW in this area offers several advantages during the colder months. Its depth makes it easy to travel, especially for those not familiar with the very shallow water that frequents this area during the winter months. It offers protection from a wide variety of winds even on very windy days, it can be fi shed deep (meaning seven feet or more) or shallow.

It almost always has a current / tide run-ning through it, which moves bait as well as predators alike. I have caught a variety of fi sh including some fresh water fi sh such as blue cats, stripers, and alligator gars.

The mouth of fresh water rivers can be a haven for red fi sh and trout and natural cuts that move into the gulf are a great place to ambush fl ounders.

The down side to what we like to call the trench (ICW) is the currents can be swift and deadly so my advice is to stay in the boat if you are not VERY versed / knowledgeable on the area you are fi shing.

The many large vessels using the ICW can and often do throw big wakes that can and do swamp boats or even capsize them.

It’s a hard place to pattern fi sh as the conditions change several times in a 24-hour period. Thermoclines that were holding fi sh are often churned away by the tides and cur-rents moving through its deeper channels.

I like using a fi sh fi nder rig or a heavy Carolina rig to ply these waters. I target areas that have access to shallow water shell and black shallow water mud fl ats.

The deep water in these areas can be 10 to 20 degrees warmer during very cold weather. On warmer days, the shell and black mud fl ats attract bait as well as feeding predators. I will pick about a mile of the ICW and set up multiple times trying to fi nd fi sh.

I have found chumming to be mostly inef-fective as the movement of water is just too diverse. If one can fi nd an eddy (slow swirling water), that is usually a good place to start.

A word of caution: some big fi sh do ply these waters and can wreak havoc on light- to medium-action tackle. Live bait is best, such as shrimp or mullet, but as often is the case, live bait in January can be hard to come by. Cut mullet, cut menhaden and even some fro-zen croaker from the warmer months may be very effective. I like deep-running lures such as rattle traps or the Rapala X-Rap Magnum in just about any translucent body.

If you fi nd some over-hanging vegetation along the shoreline, trout and reds often work these areas looking for a free meal from the cover, up above. I work the edges using a popping cork, often with success.

If you want to know how to catch fi sh when it’s cold, you might want to pay attention to those who have fi shed in the cold most of their lives—our brothers and sisters from up north. Laugh if you want, but those aluminum Lund boats (northern boats) anchored in the ICW might surprise us all by the fi sh they come back to the dock with.

For me the ICW is a great place to relax, drink some hot coffee, and catch a variety of fi sh. For me, it beats hands down sitting in front of a computer or a TV all day.

FOR JANUARY FISHING THINK slow, slow, slow. Bites are often just taps as lethargic fi sh will feed, but not with the energy of the warmer months. Be patient and use the lightest line you can get by with, as the water is often almost gin clear.

• • •

COPANO BAY — I like the mouth of Mission Bay for red and black drum. Use peeled shrimp and set the hook at the slightest tap. The north shoreline close to Turtle Pen is another good place for reds, use cut mullet on a light Carolina rig.

The sheepshead action will be good on the old pilings of the LBJ fi shing pier. Use free-lined shrimp pieces and the smallest kahle hooks you can fi nd.ARANSAS BAY — The ICW is the place to be. Fish the edges of the ICW using cut mullet or menhaden on a very light fi sh fi nder rig. On the warmer days, try the shell reefs,

such as Deadman’s Reef. The reef is very close to deeper water, and reds as well as trout will feed into the shallows mid-day. With a slight north wind, Live Oak Point is a good place for reds and trout using live shrimp if you can fi nd them. Frozen shrimp will work, if live is not available.ST. CHARLES Bay—Some black drums may be found at Twin Creeks during high tide. Use a light Carolina rig and peeled shrimp or cut squid. The mouth of East Pocket is good for reds and a few fl ounder using shrimp either live or free lined. The mouth of Cavasso Creek is good for trout using Berkley Gulp shrimp under a silent cork. CARLOS BAY—CARLOS Dugout is the place to be for trout. Deep running lures such as the Rapala Scatter Rap in mustard shad color or the X-Rap in translucent colors are best. The shallow edges of the shell here are good for trout using live shrimp under a silent cork.MESQUITE BAY—CEDAR Point is a good wade for trout using soft plastics in new penny fl eck such as the Berkley jerk shad. Drifts across Brays Cove are good for fl ounder using white jigs tipped with squid or shrimp. AYERS BAY—BLACK drum are good against Second Chain and Rattlesnake Island using a light Carolina rig. The east shoreline is good for reds using cut menhaden or cut mullet, free-lined is best or a very light Carolina rig. Ayers Reef during high tide is good for trout and black drum using live shrimp under a cork.

THE BANK BITEA COLD but worth-it wade to the cut between St. Charles Bay and Aransas bay is good for reds, trout or black drum using live shrimp or new penny Jerk Shad. The boat traffi c here can get heavy, so be respectful of those having to go through the cut. Fish the deep channel with slow retrieves; light taps are bites, so set the hook.

Contact Capt. Mac Gable at Mac Attack Guide Service,

512-809-2681, [email protected]


Focus: ROCKPORT


January of a Different Stripe

JANUARY IS ONE OF THOSE months like a .500-level sports team. There are great days where everything goes right, and then

there are days where you should have stayed in bed.

The weather can be very unstable, with the wind turning from the southeast to the northwest almost instantly as Canadian fronts barrel down from the north. You can have some simply gorgeous days with light winds and trout green water, and within a matter of hours the wind could howl from the north and the waters of Lower Laguna Madre can turn into the color of Nestle’s Quik.

Redfi sh and trout are hard to locate in water that turns murky with the slightest whiff of a norther. When the weather moderates and high pressure settles in, the fi sh that are cruising the air-clear fl ats are colt-skittish and hard to get within casting range.

Flounders are literally nowhere to be found, and black drum are in the middle of their two migrations. The water is too cold for mangrove snapper, and the surf too rough, too often for pompano and whiting. As you might guess, you can just forget about snook and tarpon. Nope, the fi rst month of the year is not the time to expect fi sh-a-minute action.

However, don’t lose hope if you’re looking to get on the water on a nice January day. There are fi sh that will cooperate, even if the wind is coming from the wrong direction.

Some hard fi ghters are out there spoiling for a good bout of knuckle-and-skull. They aren’t that tough to locate, and they offer some top-notch table fare for anglers hoping to put a few fi llets in the oven.

Sheepsheads are a plentiful Lower Laguna

Madre species that make their presence felt in winter, and they never got the memo about how bad the fi shing is supposed to be. Few fi sh are more capable of turning a winter’s day fi shing from bust to boon as quickly or quite the way these barred, stout fi sh with the funny teeth can.

Sheepsheads readily bite the simplest of rigs, fi ght hard, and provide the patient fi sh cleaner with white, fl aky fi llets that are an culinary delight when fried or baked with a bit of lemon pepper and little else for seasoning. They grow big too, with several 6-8 pounders caught every year. A couple over ten pounds are brought to net each year (the last two state records, including the current record, a 15 ½-pound brute, were caught off of a South Padre Island fi shing pier). Shorebound anglers have as much of a chance to latch into a few convict fi sh as easily any other angler.

Sheepsheads begin to congregate in good numbers around pilings and jetties after the fi rst serious cold front in November. They stick around until the water begins to warm in late April.

In January sheepsheads are feeding aggres-sively to build up mass to convert to eggs later in March, so the numbers of fi sh available to fi shermen jumps exponentially. The fact that convict fi sh are feeding heavily makes them relatively easy to coax into hitting a baited hook.

The great part of the winter sheepshead run is the easy-access to the fi shery. On days when the weather permits, all a fi sherman needs to do is head to the Brazos Santiago Jetties on South Padre Island with some live or fresh shrimp (usually the latter; live bugs are hard to come by when strong fronts encourage them to bury themselves deeper into mud than trawl nets can reach). Add a reasonably stout spinning or conventional out-fi t with 15-pound line to catch a quick limit of fi ve sheepies more than 15-inches long.

The easiest rig involves a #2 Long-shank hook three feet under a popping cork, with a #3 split-shot sinker six inches above the hook to hold everything down. Toss the rig up against the rocks and wait. The fl oat holds the

bait above the rocks and also indicates when a sheep is grazing on your bait.

Boaters also have an easy time of it when they search for sheep. The Queen Isabella Causeway is loaded with them. Anchor underneath the causeway and allow your boat to drift within 10 feet of the pilings.

Free-lining a live shrimp up against the pilings is all it takes. Again, you will want to use stout tackle for this application, because there are some big fi sh down there, and you want to force them away from the pilings and into open water as soon as you can.

Another productive spot for Valentine sheepshead is the Port Isabel Turning Basin. The docks and rip-rap hold sheepsheads. The pilings of the large dock along the south end of the channel is a popular spot. The loading dock near the old cement factory is another spot. Both are accessible by boat only, but are worth some investigation.

Don’t be surprised you latch into some chunky mangrove snappers, too. If a stretch of mild weather warms water temperatures, mangroves break out of the mullygrubs and feed a little more actively.

They’ll hold higher in the water column than sheepshead, but they’ll take the same baits. If there is no action around a set of pilings, move on to other ones. You should locate some sheepshead with a minimal of effort.

Once you do, hang on, because these fi sh will give you the full measure before coming to the boat.

THE BANK BITELocation: South JettiesSpecies: Sheepshead, whiting, black drum.Tips: Use live or fresh shrimp on a bottom rig; fl oat rig near the rocks.

Email Calixto Gonzales atContactUs@fi shgame.com

Hotspot Focus :: by CALIXTO GONZALES

LOWER Coast



UPPER COAST

by TOM BEHRENS

Moses: a Speck Promised Land

LOCATION: Galveston BayHOTSPOT: Moses LakeGPS: N 29 26.808, W 94 55.7119 (29.4468, -94.9285) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled TroutBEST BAITS: Soft PlasticsCONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio281-788-4041captpaul@gofi shgalveston.comwww.gofi shgalvesteon.comTIPS: Marcaccio says anything bright will work. His favorite colors are Slammin Chicken, plum/chartreuse, Limetreuse or pearl.

LOCATION: East Matagorda BayHOTSPOT: Raymond ShoalGPS: N 28 40.446, W 95 53.898 (28.6741, -95.8983) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled TroutBEST BAITS: Soft PlasticsCONTACT: Capt. Tommy [email protected] shing.comTIPS: Just make long drifts from the south shore-line out to the middle of the bay. —Capt. Countz

LOCATION: Galveston BayHOTSPOT: Clear Creek ChannelGPS: N 29 33.133, W 95 1.945 (29.5522, -95.0324) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled TroutBEST BAITS: Soft PlasticsCONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio281-788-4041captpaul@gofi shgalveston.comwww.gofi shgalvesteon.comTIPS: If you have fi sh that are in 8-12 feet of water, and if you can get some sunshine, start working the shoreline around noon. Capt. Marcaccio

LOCATION: Galveston BayHOTSPOT: Greens LakeGPS: N 29 16.248, W 94 59.538 (29.2708, -94.9923) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled TroutBEST BAITS: Soft PlasticsCONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio281-788-4041captpaul@gofi shgalveston.com

www.gofi shgalvesteon.comTIPS: If you are in 12-15 ft. of water you want to try to get the bait down at least two-third of the way down. The fi sh are not going to be on the bottom. Capt. Marcaccio

LOCATION: Galveston BayHOTSPOT: Tabbs BayGPS: N 29 41.634, W 94 56.544 (29.6939, -94.9424) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled TroutBEST BAITS: Soft PlasticsCONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio281-788-4041captpaul@gofi shgalveston.comwww.gofi shgalvesteon.comTIPS: Work structure and drop-offs. If you can be fortunate to have an outgoing tide, it would be excellent. Fish near drains and bayous. Capt. Marcaccio

LOCATION: Upper Galveston BayHOTSPOT: San Jacinto BayGPS: N 29 43.1039, W 95 2.641 (29.7184, -95.0440) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled TroutBEST BAITS: Soft PlasticsCONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio281-788-4041captpaul@gofi shgalveston.comwww.gofi shgalvesteon.comTIPS: If you get a cold front that is just cold, that’s great, but if you get a wet one it can take it’s toll. Keep an eye on your newspapers for runoff reports of the Trinity and San Jacinto Rivers. Capt. Marcaccio

Texas HOTSPOTS

GPS COORDINATES are provided in two for-mats: “Decimal Degrees” (degrees.degrees) and “Degrees and Minutes” sometimes called “GPS For-mat” (degrees minutes.minutes). Examples (for Downtown Austin): Decimal Degrees: N30.2777, W97.7379; Degrees and Minutes: N30 16.6662, W97 44.2739. Consult your manual for information specifi c to your GPS device.


UPPER COAST

Moses: a Speck Promised LandPromised LandPromised LandPromised Land

www.gofi shgalvesteon.comTIPS: If you are in 12-15 ft. of water you want to try to get the bait down at least two-third of the way down. The fi sh are not going to be on the bottom. Capt. Marcaccio

LOCATION: Galveston Bay

Texas Texas Texas Texas Texas HOTSPOTSHOTSPOTSHOTSPOTSHOTSPOTSHOTSPOTSHOTSPOTSHOTSPOTSHOTSPOTSHOTSPOTSHOTSPOTSHOTSPOTSHOTSPOTSHOTSPOTSHOTSPOTSHOTSPOTS

GPS COORDINATES are provided in two for-mats: “Decimal Degrees” (degrees.degrees) and “Degrees and Minutes” sometimes called “GPS For-mat” (degrees minutes.minutes).

1601-Jan-ALMANAC-DIG.indd 78 12/16/15 9:27 AM

Texas HOTSPOTSLOCATION: Upper Galveston BayHOTSPOT: Scotts BayGPS: N 29 44.628, W 95 2.364 (29.7438, -95.0394) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled TroutBEST BAITS: Soft PlasticsCONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio281-788-4041captpaul@gofi shgalveston.comwww.gofi shgalvesteon.comTIPS: Water temperatures are going to be mid 50s, which will require a slow, retrieve. All you want to do is hump is along the bottom. Capt. Marcaccio

LOCATION: Galveston West BayHOTSPOT: Offats BayouGPS: N 29 16.819, W 94 51.507 (29.2803, -94.8585) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled TroutBEST BAITS: Soft PlasticsCONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio281-788-4041captpaul@gofi shgalveston.comwww.gofi shgalvesteon.comTIPS: Look for slicks or pods of shad. Just fi nding bait will be a bonus, not a great number of bait, but just an occasional mullet or slick. Capt. Marcaccio

LOCATION: Galveston West BayHOTSPOT: Chocolate BayouGPS: N 29 7.7999, W 95 9.54 (29.1300, -95.1590) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled TroutBEST BAITS: Soft PlasticsCONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio281-788-4041captpaul@gofi shgalveston.com

www.gofi shgalvesteon.comTIPS: Look for protected areas out of the wind along with deeper water access. Chocolate and Moses all have deep-water access. In January these fi sh are going to be in the thermocline somewhere between 8-15 ft. deep. Capt. Marcaccio

LOCATION: Galveston West BayHOTSPOT: Chocolate Bayou CoveGPS: N 29 12.45, W 95 11.544 (29.2075, -95.1924) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled TroutBEST BAITS: Rat-L-TrapsCONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio281-788-4041captpaul@gofi shgalveston.comwww.gofi shgalvesteon.comTIPS: There might be an occasion that a 3/4 oz. Rat-L-Trap will work. It’s a tough bait to use because it has a great amount of vibration that you can feel in the your hand. You sometimes might have to throw a 3/8 oz. Trap if you are not getting down deep enough. Capt. Marcaccio

LOCATION: MatagordaHOTSPOT: Colorado River

GPS: N 28 40.5419, W 95 58.08 (28.6757, -95.9680) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled TroutBEST BAITS: Soft PlasticsCONTACT: Capt. Tommy [email protected] shing.comTIPS: If the river is clear, we are going to catch trout. It it’s muddy and fresh, then you are not. Capt. Countz

LOCATION: MatagordaHOTSPOT: Diversion ChannelGPS: N 28 39.018, W 95 59.2999 (28.6503, -95.9883) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Redfi sh & Speckled TroutBEST BAITS: Soft PlasticsCONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz



[email protected] shing.comTIPS: The diversion channel as it goes to the bay begins to get shallow. A lot of times on low tides in January, the reds will move up into it, along with the trout. Capt. Countz

LOCATION: Sabine LakeHOTSPOT: Light House CoveGPS: N 29 43.326, W 93 51.4919 (29.7221, -93.8582) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled TroutBEST BAITS: Soft PlasticsCONTACT: Capt. Bill [email protected] shsabinelake.com

TIPS: Cast to the bank and slowly crawl the lure back to the boat.

LOCATION: West Matagorda BayHOTSPOT: Greens BayouGPS: N 29 44.8302, W 95 10.1628 (28.490721, -96.22523) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Redfi shBEST BAITS: Morning Glow soft plastic on 1/8 oz. jig headCONTACT: Capt. Tommy [email protected] shing.comTIPS: I fi sh some of the deeper guts that come out of the peninsula, and you usually can fi nd redfi sh on the real low tides. A lot of the time you can fi nd them in vast numbers. I have stood for hours with guys and caught redfi sh until they got tired of it. Capt. Countz

LOCATION: West Matagorda BayHOTSPOT: Cottons BayouGPS: N 28 30.45, W 96 12.384 (28.5075, -96.2064) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Redfi shBEST BAITS: MirrOlure Soft Plastics with 1/8 oz. jig headCONTACT: Capt. Tommy [email protected] shing.comTIPS: Countz likes the MirrOlure Marsh Minnows in black/chartreuse.

LOCATION: West Matagorda BayHOTSPOT: Middle GroundGPS: N 28 30.7459, W 96 13.486 (28.5124, -96.2248) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Redfi shBEST BAITS: Weedless gold or copper spoonCONTACT: Capt. Tommy [email protected] shing.comTIPS: Just crawl it along the grass. The whole trick in the wintertime is to slow down your retrieve. Capt. Countz

MIDDLE COAST

by TOM BEHRENS

Laguna Specks Very Humble

LOCATION: Upper Laguna MadreHOTSPOT: Humble ChannelGPS: N 27 38.817, W 97 16.3669 (27.6470, -97.2728) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled TroutBEST BAITS: Devil Eye soft plasticsCONTACT: Capt. Chad Verburgt361-463-6545rockportredrunner@yahoo.comwww.rockportredrunner.comTIPS: Work the lure slowly along the sides of the channel, usually on a 1/8 oz. jig head, slowly drag-ging it along. Capt. Verburgt


Texas HOTSPOTS

LOWER COAST

by CALIXTO GONZALESand TOM BEHRENS

Headline for Hotspot Region

LOCATION: Lower Laguna MadreHOTSPOT: Brownsville Ship ChannelGPS: N 26 2.124, W 97 13.108 (26.0354, -97.2185) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Snook

MIDDLE COAST

by TOM BEHRENS

Headline for Hotspot Region

LOCATION: Port AransasHOTSPOT: Quarantine ShorelineGPS: N 27 54.733 W 97 03.502 (27.912217, -97.058367) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled trout


LOCATION: Corpus Christi BayHOTSPOT: Laguna Madre ICSGPS: N 27 40.8529, W 97 13.672 (27.6809, -97.2279) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Black DrumBEST BAITS: Dead or live shrimpCONTACT: Capt. Chad Verburgt361-463-6545rockportredrunner@yahoo.comwww.rockportredrunner.comTIPS: The Drum will be the edges of the drop-offs, 3-10 ft. of water. Capt. Verburgt

LOCATION: Port AransasHOTSPOT: California HoleGPS: N 27 55.561, W 97 4.8479 (27.9260, -97.0808) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Black DrumBEST BAITS: Dead or live shrimpCONTACT: Capt. Chad Verburgt361-463-6545rockportredrunner@yahoo.comwww.rockportredrunner.comTIPS: If live shrimp are not available, dead shrimp works just as good. The fi sh don’t care. If you fi nd them in the holes they are usually so thick they are waiting for what ever bait comes by.

LOCATION: Port AransasHOTSPOT: Mustang Point/Ship ChannelGPS: N 27 49.444, W 97 8.2109 (27.8241, -97.1369) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: FlounderBEST BAITS: Live ShrimpCONTACT: Capt. Chad [email protected]

www.rockportredrunner.comTIPS: Look for holes and depressions in the fl ats. It’s not going to be a real deep hole, but it will be a little bit deeper than the rest of the fl at. Capt. Chad Verburgt

LOCATION: Redfi sh BayHOTSPOT: Terminal AreaGPS: N 27 52.387, W 97 9.5479 (27.8731, -97.1591) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Redfi shBEST BAITS: Pink Devil Eye soft plasticsCONTACT: Capt. Chad Verburgt361-463-6545rockportredrunner@yahoo.comwww.rockportredrunner.comTIPS: Before a front I’ll be doing a lot of drifting adjacent to deeper water on the fl ats. Look for fl ip-ping mullet. Capt. Chad Verburgt

LOCATION: Upper Laguna MadreHOTSPOT: Humble ChannelGPS: N 27 39.153, W 97 15.664 (27.6526, -97.2611) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Black DrumBEST BAITS: Dead or live shrimpCONTACT: Capt. Chad Verburgt361-463-6545rockportredrunner@yahoo.comwww.rockportredrunner.comTIPS: The drum will be located on drop-offs and holes, adjacent to deep water.

LOCATION: Upper Laguna MadreHOTSPOT: New Humble ChannelGPS: N 27 35.472, W 97 15.8119 (27.5912, -97.2635) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: FlounderBEST BAITS: Devil Eye soft plasticsCONTACT: Capt. Chad Verburgt361-463-6545rockportredrunner@yahoo.comwww.rockportredrunner.comTIPS: Usually I prefer fi shing after the frontal pas-sage, on dropping tides. The dropping tides congre-gate the fi sh in the holes. Capt. Verburgt

LOCATION: Upper Laguna MadreHOTSPOT: King Ranch ShorelineGPS: N 27 34.4899, W 97 18.7939 (27.5748, -97.3132) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled TroutBEST BAITS: Gambler Flat Fishy Shad in Key Lime PieCONTACT: Capt. Levi [email protected] shtx.comTIPS: If the water is darker color or cloudy day, switch to Copper color with a 1/8 oz. jig head.

LOWER COAST

by CALIXTO GONZALESand TOM BEHRENS

Baffi n Trout Get a Bad Attitude

LOCATION: Baffi n BayHOTSPOT: BadlandsGPS: N 27 17.1514, W 97 25.053 (27.2859, -97.4176) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled TroutBEST BAITS: Corky Fat BoyCONTACT: Capt. Levi [email protected]


Texas HOTSPOTS


www.thefi shtx.comTIPS: If you are in area that is known for big trout, get out of the boat and wade fi sh. Get away from the sound of waves against your boat. Capt. Price

LOCATION: Lower Laguna MadreHOTSPOT: Queen Isabella CausewayGPS: N 26 4.97, W 97 12.06 (26.0828, -97.2010) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: SheepheadBEST BAITS: Live Shrimp, fresh shrimp, crab chunksCONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez956-551-9581TIPS: Fish close to the bottom alongside the pil-ings with free-line rigs and shrimp. Braided line helps minimize bait stealing.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna MadreHOTSPOT: Unnecessary IslandGPS: N 26 13.811, W 97 16.342 (26.2302, -97.2724) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Redfi shBEST BAITS: Live shrimp, cut bait, old spoons, soft plastics in New Penny, Tequila GoldCONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez956-551-9581TIPS: The shallows are beginning to warm as Spring-type weather starts to move in. Live Shrimp always is a good fi rst choice. Soft plastics with gold and gold weedless spoons work well. Fish them slowly.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna MadreHOTSPOT: Andy Bowie ParkGPS: N 26 11.541, W 97 10.327 (26.1924, -97.1721) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Mixed BagBEST BAITS: Live shrimp, fresh shrimp.CONTACT: Quick Stop956-943-1159TIPS: . Fresh shrimp in the fi rst two guts of the surf will get you a cooler full of big whiting and cooperative pompano. Redfi sh and black drum will also crash the party and make things interesting.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna MadreHOTSPOT: Brownsville Ship ChannelGPS: N 26 2.302, W 97 12.799 (26.0384, -97.2133) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: SheepheadBEST BAITS: Live bait, fresh shrimp.CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez956-551-9581TIPS: Look around dock pilings and parked shrimp boats for hovering sheepshead. If you see an isolated rock or chunk of concrete, stop and fi sh it. You might fi nd a 10 pounder.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna MadreHOTSPOT: Gaswell FlatsGPS: N 26 10.713, W 97 11.107 (26.1786, -97.1851) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled troutBEST BAITS: Live shrimp, Shirmp tail/popping cork, soft plastics in red/white, Tequila Gold.CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez956-551-9581TIPS: Fish the color change where the water starts to get deeper. Live shrimp under a popping cork is best. Fish soft plastics on warmer days when fi sh are aggressive.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna MadreHOTSPOT: The PastureGPS: N 26 5.857, W 97 10.897 (26.0976, -97.1816) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled troutBEST BAITS: Live bait, soft plastics in pearl, Smoke.CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez956-551-9581TIPS: Even on colder days, trout still hold in the deeper part of this broad fl at. Night fi shing with lights is very effective.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna MadreHOTSPOT: Airport CoveGPS: N 26 10.02, W 97 18.12 (26.1670, -97.3020) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled troutBEST BAITS: Live bait, soft plastics in pearl, Smoke.CONTACT: Captain Jeff Neu979-942-0164TIPS: .It’s a bit of a run to Airport Cove from Port Isabel or SPI, but the jaunt is worth it when the trout are turned on.

LOCATION: Port Mansfi eldHOTSPOT: The SaucerGPS: N 26 28.149, W 97 23.874 (26.4692, -97.3979) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Speckled troutBEST BAITS: Topwaters, soft plastics in LSU, Black/Chartreuse, Gold spoons.CONTACT: Captain Jeff Neu979-942-0164TIPS: Trout lurk in the sand holes throughout the area. It’s tough to beat a soft plastic fi shed slowly.


Texas HOTSPOTS


Bigger fi sh will key in on spoons and Corkies.

LOCATION: Port Mansfi eldHOTSPOT: Marker 151GPS: N 26 31.89, W 97 23.26 (26.5315, -97.3877) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Redfi shBEST BAITS: Gold Spoons, soft plastics in LSUCONTACT: Captain Jeff Neu979-942-0164TIPS: Wade or drift the deep potholes in the area with topwaters, soft plastics, spoons, or your favor-ite redfi sh lures to fi nd pods of reds cruising the fl ats in this area.

PINEY WOODS

by DUSTIN WARNCKE

Conroe Hybrids Go to School

LOCATION: Lake ConroeHOTSPOT: Main LakeGPS: N 30 27.216, W 95 34.404 (30.4536, -95.5734) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Hybrid StripersBEST BAITS: Live shad, Storm Swim ShadCONTACT: Richard Tatsch (936) 291-1277admin@fi shdudetx.comwww.fi shdudetx.comTIPS: The hybrid stripers are schooling around ledges along the river channel. Find the schools of shad and you will fi nd the Hybrids. This time of year they will run shad up on these ridges during the day they will move deeper around the area. Find the depth the bait are in and you will fi nd the fi sh. As the water temperatures drop they will be in the 30 to 40 foot depths. Live shad will be the bait of

choice in deeper water but the swim shad will work as long as you can control your retrieve to keep the bait in the depth the fi sh are going to be in. The depths will vary from one day to the next. Today they may be in 20 foot of water and tomorrow they may be in 40 foot. It all depends on the schools of shad. Bank Access: Stowaway Marina.

LOCATION: Caddo LakeHOTSPOT: Main Lake FlatsGPS: N 32 43.074, W 94 6.5999 (32.7179, -94.1100) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Largemouth BassBEST BAITS: V&M Pacemaker 3/4 oz. Ledge Blade and V&M Thundershad swimbaitCONTACT: Caddo Lake Guide Service/Paul Keith [email protected] shing.comTIPS: Fish over and through the hydrilla and pad stems with these shad colored lures. Bass will be on the fl ats on the main lake in 2-5 ft. of water near the main channel and creeks.

LOCATION: Lake ForkHOTSPOT: Main Lake Large Creek ChannelsGPS: N 32 55.8204, W 95 38.706 (32.9303, -95.6451) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Largemouth BassBEST BAITS: Black/blue jig (1/2oz) with a real #11 black pork trailer, slow suspending crankbait with orange belly, red sides and dark backCONTACT: Doug Shampine940-902-3855doug@lakeforktrophybass.comwww.lakeforktrophybass.com TIPS: Bass fi shing on Lake Fork in January can be very rewarding depending on the weather. If we had a mild December, the bass bite will be good on a jig. Start looking for those big females along one of the bigger creek channels. Look for a sharp bend in the creek channel or where the creek hits the bank and there is a sharp drop off. Target the bigger stumps beside the creek if you have had a

couple sunny days in a row. The bigger females will come out of the creek channel and feed on the bank of the creek. When a cold front comes in, they will go into the deeper water of the creek channel and suspend. If the water gets real cold, like in the lower 40’s, they may not feed every day. The two baits I like to throw in January are the black/blue jig and suspending crank bait. Again target the bigger tim-ber and stop your cranking when you come to a big stump. Once you crank your bait down, crank very slow. If you are lucky enough to fi nd some grass in the lake this crankbait works very well fi shing the grass. One other area the big females hang out this time of the year will be around the bridge pilings on the 154 bridge.

LOCATION: Lake LivingstonHOTSPOT: River Bend on Lake LivingstonGPS: N 30 53.418, W 95 19.17 (30.8903, -95.3195) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Blue and Flathead Catfi shBEST BAITS: Fresh Carp, Buffalo or Tilapia fi l-leted and scaledCONTACT: David S. Cox, Palmetto Guide Service936-291-9602dave@palmettoguideservice.comwww.palmettoguideservice.comTIPS: Carolina Rig with a ½ - 1 oz. egg sinker, drift baits on bottom from 12 foot of water to where the old river channel drops off to 45 foot of water. BANK ACCESS: Penwaugh Marina

LOCATION: Toledo BendHOTSPOT: North End River Channel SandbarsGPS: N 31 42.426, W 93 48.6899 (31.7071, -93.8115) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: White BassBEST BAITS: Slab Spoons, Rat-L-Traps, Tail SpinnersCONTACT: Greg Crafts, Toledo Bend Guide Service and Lake [email protected]


Texas HOTSPOTS


TIPS: In January, the White Bass will be on a feeding frenzy, bulking up before making their annu-al run up the river to spawn. The Whites will be holding on the north end river channel sand bars. Concentrate on the inside bends of the river chan-nel. Slab spoons, Rat-L- Traps and tail spinners are the go-to baits. Use your electronics to locate the baitfi sh and you’ll locate the bass.

PRAIRIES & LAKES

by DUSTIN WARNCKEand DEAN HEFFNER

Lavon Bass Log Time in Timber

LOCATION: Lake LavonHOTSPOT: Main Lake Timber and RocksGPS: N 33 2.022, W 96 28.956 (33.0337, -96.4826) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Largemouth BassBEST BAITS: Creature Baits in Watermelon Green and Watermelon Red like Beaver Tails. Sexy Shad pattern KVD square bill cranks - 3 to 6 foot diver and 12-foot diver. White and chartreuse spin-nerbaits.CONTACT: Carey Thorn469-528-0210thorn_alex@yahoo.comTexasOklahomaFishingGuide.com TIPS: Bass are holding to timber and rocks. Using Creature Baits, Sexy shad KVD square bills and spinnerbaits. Use the spinnerbaits up shallow early and late or with cloud cover. When Fishing timber, make sure you bump that spinner into it.

LOCATION: Cedar Creek LakeHOTSPOT: Man Lake BasinGPS: N 32 17.43, W 96 8.6219 (32.2905, -96.1437) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Hybrid Stripers and White BassBEST BAITS: 1/8th oz. to 1oz shad imitating luresCONTACT: Jason Barber(903) 603-2047kingscreekadventures@yahoo.comwww.kingscreekadventures.comTIPS: On spinning and casting tackle spool 8 to 20lb line and present small to medium sized shad imitations vertically below the boat. Tap on the fl oor of the boat And watch your electronics in 30’ to 50’ of water. Anchor or drift and look for suspended fi sh 1’ to 10’ off bottom. Watch for light bites. 1/8th oz. to 1oz baits will work in various colors, just remember to make a lot of noise.

LOCATION: Eagle Mountain LakeHOTSPOT: Baptist PointGPS: N 32 52.79, W 97 28.64 (32.8798, -97.4773) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: White bassBEST BAITS: Slabs, jigs and small plastics.CONTACT: Johnny Stevens817-597-6598johnnystevens@1scom.netjohnnysguideservice.comTIPS: This area is really good this time of the year due to the north wind pushing shad onto the point. Work the lure very slowly.

LOCATION: Fayette CountyHOTSPOT: Hog Pond TreesGPS: N 29 55.2779, W 96 43.056 (29.9213, -96.7176) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Catfi shBEST BAITS: Worms or Punch BaitCONTACT: Weldon [email protected] shtales-guideservice.comTIPS: Catfi sh are in Pre-spawn mode. Fish 10’ of water, close to stumps, straight down with tight line. Chum will help too.

LOCATION: Gibbons CreekHOTSPOT: North Bank on Eagle PointGPS: N 30 38.118, W 96 3.0779 (30.6353, -96.0513) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Catfi shBEST BAITS: Shad or CJ’s Punch baitCONTACT: Weldon [email protected] shtales-guideservice.comTIPS: This creek comes close to shore here. Fish 12-foot water using tight line. Large Blues pass through this creek area. Use a #6 treble hook for punch bait.

LOCATION: Lake GranburyHOTSPOT: Lower EndsGPS: N 32 22.78, W 97 42.336 (32.3797, -97.7056) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Striped BassBEST BAITS: Jerk baits fi shed on 3/4 to 1oz jigs in 20 to 40 feet of water.CONTACT: Michael W. Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters817-578-0023www.unfairadvantagecharters.comTIPS: Look for bird action to point you to active fi sh early. Later, look for schools of bait around 20 to 40 feet down on humps and ridges near access to deeper water. Be patient and work your jigs real slow through baitfi sh schools. Granbury water temperatures are in the upper 40’s and low 50’s and winter patterns are in full force. Birds continue to help anglers locate fi sh. Loons are your best friends. Cold fronts continue to dominate the weather patterns with the best fi shing right before the front. Baitfi sh and predators are near the bottom of the channel and move up some on those warmer days.

LOCATION: Lake GrangerHOTSPOT: Main Lake Open WaterGPS: N 30 41.628, W 97 21.2339


Texas HOTSPOTS


(30.6938, -97.3539) u TAP FORONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Blue Catfi shBEST BAITS: Shad, Zote Soap, PerchCONTACT: Tommy Tidwell(512) [email protected]: Now is a good time to fi sh for blue catfi sh at Granger Lake. The cold north winds blow the baitfi sh to the south banks and concentrate the blue catfi sh in those locations. Use jug lines baited with your choice of bait to put some real nice fi llets in the freezer. I like to use Zote Soap because of the ease of handling and it eliminates the gar problems (gar do not eat soap). I like to use a #11/0 Mustad circle tuna hook. Cut the Zote into 1/2 to 1 inch squares. I like to use 2 hooks per jug line with one hook about 6 feet below the surface and one about 6 feet off the bottom. Normally I use about a 20-foot line from weight to jug and set these in around 15 feet of water. You will have your best luck on the days when the weather is the nastiest with cold, wind, and rain. Try this out and you might just fi ll your freezer for the year.

LOCATION: Lake LavonHOTSPOT: Power Plant AreaGPS: N 33 4.4279, W 96 27.696 (33.0738, -96.4616) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Catfi shBEST BAITS: Cut ShadCONTACT: Rick [email protected] shing.comTIPS: Fish the current from the power plant outlet in 20 to 26 feet of water. In windy conditions, use drift socks to slow the boat to the slowest possible drift. Using Carolina Rigs with 1/4 to 1/2 oz. egg sinker with 21 to 24 leaders, with 3-0 to 4.0 circle hooks.

LOCATION: Lake PalestineHOTSPOT: Kickapoo Creek and Main Lake Boat

HousesGPS: N 32 17.7, W 95 30.186 (32.2950, -95.5031) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Largemouth BassBEST BAITS: Big Eye Jig in black/blue trailed with a black/blue Mister Twister Pocket Craw, Shimmy Shaker, Texas rigged Mr. Twister Swim Station, Top Shelf Texas spinnerbait with white single Colorado blade.CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff903-561-7299 or 903-530-2201ricky@rickysguideservice.comwww.rickysguideservice.comTIPS: In January, bass fi shing will be best along the Kickapoo Creek area in 4 to 10 feet of water. Down south around the boathouses will be good as well. Fish around the front of boathouses that have brush in about 10 feet of water.

LOCATION: Lake Ray RobertsHOTSPOT: Main Lake Humps & PointsGPS: N 33 22.6796, W 97 6.297 (33.3780, -97.1050) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Largemouth bassBEST BAITS: Alabama/Umbrella rigs, swimbaits, jerkbaitsCONTACT: Dannie Golden, Get Bit Guide Service817-228-5999www.get-bit.comTIPS: January is not a good month for numbers of bass, but can be a good month to catch a big bass on Roberts. There are a few baits that will be key in doing so. This month is one of the best months for the Alabama rig or umbrella rig. I like to use a Gene Larew Salty Swimmer on these. A small swimbait works great. Rocky main lake points, humps. and ridges are good places to target with the Alabama rig. A suspending jerkbait is also a good bait to use. I like a Strike King suspending bait in Sexy Shad. I also work it along these main lake points. This is also the time of year to break out the big rods with heavy line. I like to swing for the fences with big swimbaits this time of year. Big glide baits, like a Deps 250, will catch some giants this time of year.

We don’t get many bites, but the ones we get are truly giants.

LOCATION: Lake Ray RobertsHOTSPOT: Wolf, Indian, Buck CreeksGPS: N 33 26.114, W 96 59.4745 (33.4352, -96.9912) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: White bassBEST BAITS: Live bait, slabs, spoonsCONTACT: Dannie Golden, Get Bit Guide Service817-228-5999www.get-bit.comTIPS: White bass can still be caught in January, but you have to be patient. Unlike other months you have to be ready to work your baits really slow. The gulls are gone by now, so electronics are key. Also a lot of the fi sh this time of year, will be really hanging tight to the bottom. Often, I will have my down scan zoomed in closer to the bottom to see them. Points or creek channel ledges will be hold-ing fi sh. 32-38 feet of water is where I like to start looking.

LOCATION: Lake SomervilleHOTSPOT: Big Creek Park ShorelineGPS: N 30 19.2419, W 96 34.908 (30.3207, -96.5818) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Catfi shBEST BAITS: Shad or CJ’s Punch baitCONTACT: Weldon [email protected] shtales-guideservice.comTIPS: Park is closed. Fish from shore casting out or anchor 40 yards off shore and fi sh back toward shore along edge of the cane.

LOCATION: Lake TexomaHOTSPOT: Paw Paw Creek and Willis BridgeGPS: N 33 53.9879, W 96 53.796 (33.8998, -96.8966)


Texas HOTSPOTS


u TAP FORONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Striped BassBEST BAITS: Road Runner and Sassy Shad jigsCONTACT: Bill Carey903-786-4477bigfi [email protected]: January is a big fi sh month at Lake Texoma. The cool water winter fi shing is legendary. Large stripers up to 20+ pounds will hold on structure. A 7-foot medium heavy Castaway Rod with 20-pound test is recommended. The 1-ounce White Road Runner jigs with a white 7-inch worm will produce fi sh located on main lake points, the mouths of creeks and humps with deep water nearby. The cooler the weather the better the fi shing holds true for these fi ghting fi sh. Bank Access: The Oil Wells and Texas Flats, using the same baits mentioned. Tie on half-ounce jigs if the seagulls are working near you.

LOCATION: Lake WhitneyHOTSPOT: State ParkGPS: N 31 55.074, W 97 21.8219 (31.9179, -97.3637) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Striped BassBEST BAITS: STRIPAHOLIC jigs & 4 chartreuse slamming shad from rsrlures.comCONTACT: Randy Routh817-822-5539teamredneck01@hotmail.comwww.teamredneck.netTIPS: With the cold water the baitfi sh are lethar-gic and the striper bite can be soft at times. Dead sticking or strolling (slow trolling with electric motor) is working best. When dead sticking look for your schools of stripers or sand bass and locate your boat above them. Drop your bait down to just above their heads and do nothing. Wait for the bite and be quick with the hook set. Slow trolling is working with the same baits or swim baits as well. Remember when you think your fi shing slow enough, slow down some more.

LOCATION: Richland Chambers LakeHOTSPOT: Heavy Timbered Areas in the Richland Creek ArmGPS: N 31 57.354, W 96 17.1479 (31.9559, -96.2858) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Channel and Blue Catfi shBEST BAITS: Danny Kings Punch BaitCONTACT: Royce [email protected] shin.bizTIPS: Find any timbered areas where the Cormorants Roost. Fish in 15’-25’ feet of water. Use a # 4 Treble Hook with Punch Bait. Keep a net handy as you’ll catch LOTS of 1 to 3 lb. fi sh, but you’re subject to hooking a MONSTER Blue Cat. Remember that RC is one of only three Lakes in the State with a slot on Blue Catfi sh. Fish between 30 and 45 inches must be returned to the Lake.

PANHANDLE

by DUSTIN WARNCKEand DEAN HEFFNER

Hybrids Hover Near Poverty

LOCATION: Fort Phantom Hill ReservoirHOTSPOT: Poverty PointGPS: N 32 36.5339, W 99 40.049 (32.6089, -99.6675) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Hybrid striped bassBEST BAITS: Slabs, spoons, jigs, swim tails, crankbaitsCONTACT: Michael D. Homer, Jr. TPWD [email protected]: Anglers can catch schooling hybrids striped bass by fi shing along Poverty Point in about 10-20 ft. of water. Lures such as chrome or pearl white

slabs and chrome spoons work well when fi shing off the lake bottom. Trolling along spillway cove and Poverty Point with 1 ¼ oz. white or chrome painted jigs with white or chartreuse 3-4 swimming tails or deep-diving crankbaits work well for catching hybrids. Fishing on calm days just after sunrise or just before sunset is likely to yield better results. Often on calm days, you can see schooling hybrids and white bass popping at the surface as they are preying on shad just after dawn or at dusk. If fi sh seem to be near the surface, a chrome-bodied suspending jerk bait with a blue or black back may yield a good catch.

LOCATION: Lake Alan HenryHOTSPOT: Main Lake CreeksGPS: N 33 3.432, W 101 2.8499 (33.0572, -101.0475) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Largemouth BassBEST BAITS: Crank baits, Shaky Head jigs, jigs, jerkbaits, and slow rolling spinnerbaitsCONTACT: Norman Clayton’s Guide Services806-792-9220nclayton42@sbcglobal.netwww.lakealanhenry.com/norman_clayton.htmTIPS: Watch the weather forecast for a warm day just before a cold front comes through. I usually try to fi sh the steep banks about half way up the creeks, mainly Gobbler, Little Grape, Big Grape, and Ince. Also fi sh the steep banks on the main river using crank baits, shaky head jigs, jigs, and jerk baits. Spinnerbaits slowed rolled will also work. You will be looking for one or two big bites because the water will be in the mid to upper 30s. Fish Slow.

LOCATION: Possum KingdomHOTSPOT: Pickwick BridgeGPS: N 32 54.777, W 98 27.939 (32.9130, -98.4657) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: White bass & striped bassBEST BAITS: slabs, jigsCONTACT: Dean Heffner, Heffner Guide [email protected]


Texas HOTSPOTS


TIPS: Break out your slabs and jigs, as it’s that time of year. Also, we dead stick some this time of year. Watch the birds and stay north of Costello Island. There are always fi sh around the submerged Pickwick bridge. It’s a new year and PK has a bum-per crop of all species after the lake rose 15 feet over so much cover for the new hatchlings. I expect 20-pound stripers and a crappie rebound in 2016.

BIG BEND

by DUSTIN WARNCKE

Fast Draw for Amistad Bass

LOCATION: Lake AmistadHOTSPOT: Salem Point DrawsGPS: N 29 29.1299, W 101 5.8439 (29.4855, -101.0974) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Largemouth BassBEST BAITS: Plastic worms, Senkos, Stanley Wedgetail Minnows, RoadrunnersCONTACT: James [email protected]: Fish the rocky drop-offs with ultra-light equipment, letting the Wedgetail Minnows weight-less Senkos or Roadrunners fall slowly and then lifting your rod up very lightly. The strikes often occur when the small lures are on the fall. Later in the day, use Carolina-rigged plastic worms in the deeper water when you fi nd second drop-offs near the channels.

HILL COUNTRY

by DUSTIN WARNCKE

Launch a Missle at Canyon Bass

LOCATION: Canyon LakeHOTSPOT: Main LakeGPS: N 29 51.8292, W 98 11.8379 (29.8638, -98.1973) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Largemouth BassBEST BAITS: Missle Baits mini-jigs, small white crankbaits, Senkos, Shaky Heads, Drop Shots, Uncle Josh pork trailersCONTACT: KC’S Bassin’ Guide [email protected] TIPS: Fish upriver, working vertical timber and stumps along 6-15 foot breaklines on southerly facing bluffs and along bluff walls inside of second-ary points. For deeper bluff areas use Drop shot ¼ oz. Tungsten weight, on a good 6’10 MH like KC Kustoms drop shot rod. Useful colors are green pumpkin, Magic, Watermelon Candy, Watermelon Purple, Watermelon Red, Blue Flec.

LOCATION: Canyon LakeHOTSPOT: Canyon Park PointGPS: N 29 53.2559, W 98 13.638 (29.8876, -98.2273) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Striped BassBEST BAITS: Hogies 4 Super Shad in Pearl / Black BackCONTACT: Steve Nixon, Fishhooks Adventures210-573-1230steve@sanantoniofi shingguides.comwww.sanantoniofi shingguides.comTIPS: Look for the Striped Bass to be shallow

(20-40 feet). They will be suspending over the river channel and feeding on the point in this area. Fishing the Super Shad close to the bottom pro-duces fi sh in this area. Tight lines and Fish-On.

LOCATION: Canyon LakeHOTSPOT: Main LakeGPS: N 29 52.38, W 98 14.874 (29.8730, -98.2479) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Largemouth BassBEST BAITS: Slow rolling spinnerbaits, hard jerkbaits, drop-shots, and jigsCONTACT: Teach ‘Em to Fish Guide Service-Barry Dodd210-771-0123barry@teachemtofi sh.netwww.teachemtofi sh.netTIPS: Water temperature is cold and the bass and crappie are in their winter patterns. Most fi sh are deep off sharp drop-offs with ledges and brush. The best fi shing occurs just before frontal passage and then a couple days after when the winds return from the south. The fi sh do not need to eat as often because the cold water slows their metabolism. Slower lure presentations work best this time of year.

LOCATION: Lake AustinHOTSPOT: Creek Inlets and Bedding AreasGPS: N 30 17.826, W 97 47.2739 (30.2971, -97.7879) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Largemouth BassBEST BAITS: Cyclone and Picasso spinnerbaits, River2Sea S-Waver swim baits and crankbaits, T-rig or weightless rig with a V&M Wild Thang 8.5 worm or ChopstickCONTACT: Brian Parker - Lake Austin Fishing817-808-2227lakeaustinfi [email protected] TIPS: I generally try to fi nd fl ats that are close to deeper/thick grass as this is the typical pattern for ambushing shad and smaller fi sh. Be prepared to throw multiple baits at the same area. I will usu-


Texas HOTSPOTS


ally throw Cyclone and Picasso spinnerbaits along the edges and River2Sea S-Waver swim baits and cranks as well. If the moving baits aren’t pulling the bigger fi sh out, I’ll tie on a T-rig or weightless rig and use a V&M Wild Thang 8.5 worm or Chopstick to work just off the grass. Work from shallow to deeper water.

LOCATION: Lake BuchananHOTSPOT: Main LakeGPS: N 30 47.808, W 98 26.79 (30.7968, -98.4465) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Catfi shBEST BAITS: Cut bait or store-bought catfi sh baitsCONTACT: Clancy Terrill512-633-6742centraltexasfi [email protected] shing.com TIPS: Catfi sh is excellent for those with smaller boats and that are knowledgeable or brave to get up river where new water is coming in. Main lake is also good. This time of year you will mostly catch eating size fi sh. Concentrate on the brush edges using bobbers with bait just off bottom. Trophy cat-fi sh action should also be good.

LOCATION: Lake BuchananHOTSPOT: Upper End of Main LakeGPS: N 30 52.062, W 98 25.668 (30.8677, -98.4278) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Striped Bass and White BassBEST BAITS: Slabs, jigs and trolling baits for artifi cial. Shad, perch, and minnows for live bait.CONTACT: Ken [email protected]: White bass, hybrids and stripers will be staging on the upper end of the main lake getting ready for the spawning run up the river. Live bait and artifi cials will both work well this time of year.

LOCATION: Lake LBJ

HOTSPOT: Bell Tower Point GPS: N 30 33.5039, W 98 21.24 (30.5584, -98.3540) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Largemouth BassBEST BAITS: Slow rolling spinnerbaits, hard jerkbaits, drop-shots, and jigsCONTACT: Teach ‘Em to Fish Guide Service-Barry Dodd210-771-0123barry@teachemtofi sh.netwww.teachemtofi sh.netTIPS: This area is a good location this time of year. There is lots of deep water with rock and some deeper vegetation. The rocks hold some warmth and the fi sh naturally gravitate to that warmth. Many times the long point gives a good windbreak.

SOUTH TEXAS

by DUSTIN WARNCKE

Falcon Bass be Dammed

LOCATION: Falcon LakeHOTSPOT: Dam AreaGPS: N 26 33.648, W 99 9.738 (26.5608, -99.1623) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Largemouth BassBEST BAITS: Flukes, Senkos, deep diving crankbaits, Brown/Orange jigsCONTACT: Bassin Billy’s Guide Service and [email protected] shing.comTIPS: Rocks are holding fi sh. Approach them with a Texas rig or Carolina rig and fi sh very slowly. When throwing the crankbait make sure you are

digging into the rocks and pause often. The fi sh should be moving to the back of creeks by now in preparation of the spawn.

LOCATION: Coleto Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main LakeGPS: N 28 43.626, W 97 11.2199 (28.7271, -97.1870) u TAP FOR

ONLINE MAP

SPECIES: Largemouth BassBEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits: small white spinners with medium gold Colorado bladesCONTACT: Rocky’s Guide Service 361-960-0566TIPS: January can be a great month to fi sh. The lake will be quiet. Lots of nice days. Water is cooler so fi sh are usually slower this time of year. Slow baits will be more effective. I actually like slow roll-ing a spinners this time of year. Fish right off drops along banks close to deep water. This is good time year to wear life jackets so be safe out on the water.


Texas HOTSPOTS

DIGITAL EXTRA:

Locator Maps link toGoogle Maps

online


Tides and Prime Times JANUARY 2016

USING THE PRIME TIMES CALENDAR

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK IS SPONSORED BY:

The following pages contain TIDE and SOLUNAR predictions for Galveston Chan-nel (29.3166° N, 94.88° W).TIDE PREDICTIONS are located in the upper white boxes on the Calendar Pages. Use the Correc-tion Table below, which is keyed to 23 other tide stations, to adjust low and high tide times.

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY is shown in the lower color boxes of the Calendar pages. Use the SOLUNAR ADJUSTMENT SCALE below to adjust times for points East and West of Galveston Channel.

TIDE PREDICTIONS are shown in graph form, with High and Low tide predictions in text immediately below. SOLUNAR ACTIVITY data is provided to indicate major and minor feeding periods for each day, as the daily phases of the moon have varying degrees of infl uence on many wildlife species. AM & PM MINOR phases occur when the moon rises and sets. These phases last 1 to 2 hours. AM & PM MAJOR phases occur when the moon reaches its highest point overhead as well as when it is “underfoot” or at its highest point on the exact opposite side of the earth from your positoin (or literally under your feet). Most days have two Major Feeding Phases, each lasting about 2 hours. PEAK DAYS: The closer the moon is to your location, the stronger the infl uence. FULL or NEW MOONS provide the strongest infl unce of the month. PEAK TIMES: When a Solunar Period falls within 30 minutes to an hour of sunrise or sunset, anticipate increased action. A moon rise or moon set during one of these pds will cause even greater action. If a FULL or NEW MOON occurs during a Solunar Pd, expect the best action of the season.

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NOT TO BE USED FOR

NAVIGATION

TIDE CORRECTION TABLE

Add or subtract the time shown at the rightof the Tide Stations on this table (and map) to

determine the adjustment from the time shown for GALVESTON CHANNEL in the calendars.

KEY PLACE HIGH LOW Sabine Bank Lighthouse -1:46 -1:31 Sabine Pass Jetty -1:26 -1:31 Sabine Pass -1:00 -1:15 Mesquite Pt, Sab. Pass -0:04 -0:25 Galveston Bay, S. Jetty -0:39 -1:05 Port Bolivar +0:14 -0:06

KEY PLACE HIGH LOWGalveston Channel/Bays Texas City Turning Basin +0:33 +0:41 Eagle Point +3:54 +4:15 Clear Lake +6:05 +6:40 Morgans Point +10:21 +5:19 Round Pt, Trinity Bay +10:39 +5:15

KEY PLACE HIGH LOW Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay +5:48 +4:43 Gilchrist, East Bay +3:16 +4:18 Jamaica Beach, W. Bay +2:38 +3:31 Alligator Point, W. Bay +2:39 +2:33 Christmas Pt +2:32 +2:31 Galveston Pleasure Pier -1:06 -1:06

KEY PLACE HIGH LOW San Luis Pass -0.09 -0.09 Freeport Harbor -0:44 -1:02 Pass Cavallo 0:00 -1:20 Aransas Pass -0:03 -1:31 Padre Island (So. End) -0:24 -1:45 Port Isabel +1:02 -0:42

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KEYS TO USING THE TIDE AND SOLUNAR GRAPHS

AM Minor: 1:20a

AM Major: 7:32a

PM Minor: 1:45p

PM Major: 7:57p

Moon Underfoot: 9:15p

Moon Overhead: 8:50aTime Moonis at its Highest Point in the Sky

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY:

Time Moon is DirectlyUnderfoot (atits peak on opposite sideof the earth)

AM/PM Timeline

MAJORFeedingPeriods(+/- 2 Hrs.)

MINORFeedingPeriods(+/- 1.5 Hrs.)

TIDE GRAPH:

BEST:5:30 — 7:30 AM

Yellow: Daylight

Light Blue:Nighttime

AM/PMTimeline

Blue:Rising Tide

Gold Fish:Best Time

Blue Fish:Good TimeRed Graph:

Fishing Score

Green: Falling Tide

Tab: PeakFishing Period

Sportsman’s DAYBOOKSportsman’s Sportsman’s Sportsman’s Sportsman’s Sportsman’s Sportsman’s Sportsman’s Sportsman’s Sportsman’s Sportsman’s DAYBOOKDAYBOOKDAYBOOKDAYBOOKDAYBOOKDAYBOOKDAYBOOKDAYBOOKDAYBOOKDAYBOOKDAYBOOKDAYBOOKDAYBOOKDAYBOOKDAYBOOK


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NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION

Fishing Score Graph

Day’s BestScore

2ndBest

= Peak FishingPeriod

BEST:7:45-9:40 AM

= FALLING TIDE= RISING TIDE= DAYLIGHT HOURS= NIGHTTIME HOURS

28 «

Low Tide 12:20 AM 0.85 ftHigh Tide 4:03 AM 0.94 ftLow Tide 11:52 AM -0.45 ftHigh Tide 7:51 PM 1.06 ft

29

Low Tide 1:19 AM 0.75 ftHigh Tide 5:00 AM 0.83 ftLow Tide 12:31 PM -0.27 ftHigh Tide 8:24 PM 0.99 ft

30


Dec 31

Low Tide 3:40 AM 0.50 ftHigh Tide 7:44 AM 0.60 ftLow Tide 1:44 PM 0.13 ftHigh Tide 9:32 PM 0.89 ft

Jan 1


2


3

Low Tide 6:01 AM 0.07 ftHigh Tide 12:59 PM 0.66 ftLow Tide 4:06 PM 0.62 ftHigh Tide 10:44 PM 0.84 ft

AM Minor: 7:27a

AM Major: 1:14a

PM Minor: 7:51p

PM Major: 1:39p

AM Minor: 8:20a

AM Major: 2:09a

PM Minor: 8:44p

PM Major: 2:32p

AM Minor: 9:11a

AM Major: 3:00a

PM Minor: 9:34p

PM Major: 3:23p

AM Minor: 9:59a

AM Major: 3:49a

PM Minor: 10:21p

PM Major: 4:10p

AM Minor: 10:45a

AM Major: 4:34a

PM Minor: 11:06p

PM Major: 4:55p

AM Minor: 11:27a

AM Major: 5:17a

PM Minor: 11:49p

PM Major: 5:38p

AM Minor: -----

AM Major: 5:58a

PM Minor: 12:09p

PM Major: 6:20p

+2.0

+1.0

0

-1.0

FEET FEET

+2.0

+1.0

0

-1.0

BEST:10:30A — 12:30P

BEST:11:00 P— 1:00A

BEST:12:00 — 2:00 AM

BEST:10:00P — 12:00A

BEST:9:30 — 11:30 PM

BEST:7:30 — 9:30 AM

BEST:6:30 — 8:30 AM

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

SO

LU

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Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:32pMoonrise: 1:18a Set: 1:03p


Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:30pMoonrise: None Set: 11:54a

Sunrise: 7:12a Set: 5:30pMoonrise: 11:36p Set: 11:20a




TID

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l = New Moon

º = First Quarter

l = Full Moon

» = Last Quarter

« = Good Day

n = Best Day

SYMBOL KEY

Moon Underfoot: 3:11p Moon Underfoot: 3:58p

Moon Overhead: 3:35a Moon Overhead: 4:21a Moon Overhead: 5:05a Moon Overhead: 5:47a Moon Overhead: 6:30a Moon Overhead: 7:13aMoon Overhead: 2:47a

Moon Underfoot: 7:35pMoon Underfoot: 6:09pMoon Underfoot: 5:26p Moon Underfoot: 6:51pMoon Underfoot: 4:43p

12a 12a6a 12p 6p 12a6a 12p 6p 12a6a 12p 6p 12a6a 12p 6p 12a6a 12p 6p 6a 12p 6p 12a 12a6a 12p 6p




Fishing Score Graph

Day’s BestScore

2ndBest


BEST:7:45-9:40 AM


4

Low Tide 6:32 AM -0.08 ftHigh Tide 2:14 PM 0.77 ftLow Tide 5:31 PM 0.73 ftHigh Tide 11:05 PM 0.86 ft

5


6


7

Low Tide 8:07 AM -0.48 ftHigh Tide 4:19 PM 1.04 ftLow Tide 8:42 PM 0.88 ft

8 «

High Tide 12:26 AM 0.95 ftLow Tide 8:42 AM -0.59 ftHigh Tide 4:55 PM 1.09 ftLow Tide 9:19 PM 0.89 ft

9 l


10 «


AM Minor: 12:27a

AM Major: 6:39a

PM Minor: 12:50p

PM Major: 7:01p

AM Minor: 1:08a

AM Major: 7:19a

PM Minor: 1:31p

PM Major: 7:43p

AM Minor: 1:49a

AM Major: 8:02a

PM Minor: 2:14p

PM Major: 8:26p

AM Minor: 2:33a

AM Major: 8:46a

PM Minor: 2:59p

PM Major: 9:12p

AM Minor: 3:20a

AM Major: 9:33a

PM Minor: 3:47p

PM Major: 10:00p

AM Minor: 4:11a

AM Major: 10:24a

PM Minor: 4:38p

PM Major: 10:51p

AM Minor: 5:04a

AM Major: 10:47a

PM Minor: 5:32p

PM Major: -----

+2.0

+1.0

0

-1.0

FEET FEET

+2.0

+1.0

0

-1.0

BEST:4:00 — 6:00 AM

BEST:5:00 — 7:00 AM

BEST:5:30 — 7:30 AM

BEST:3:30 — 5:30 AM

BEST:2:30 — 4:30 AM

BEST:1:30 — 3:30 AM

BEST:8:00 — 10:00 PM


TID

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l = New Moon

º = First Quarter

l = Full Moon

» = Last Quarter

« = Good Day

n = Best Day

SYMBOL KEY

11 «


12 «

High Tide 3:32 AM 0.91 ftLow Tide 11:21 AM -0.62 ftHigh Tide 7:17 PM 1.06 ft

13


14


15


16 º


17

Low Tide 4:32 AM -0.20 ftHigh Tide 11:45 AM 0.65 ftLow Tide 3:41 PM 0.50 ftHigh Tide 9:47 PM 0.83 ft

AM Minor: 6:01a

AM Major: 11:44a

PM Minor: 6:28p

PM Major: 12:15p

AM Minor: 7:00a

AM Major: 12:46a

PM Minor: 7:27p

PM Major: 1:13p

AM Minor: 7:59a

AM Major: 1:46a

PM Minor: 8:26p

PM Major: 2:13p

AM Minor: 8:58a

AM Major: 2:45a

PM Minor: 9:24p

PM Major: 3:11p

AM Minor: 9:56a

AM Major: 3:43a

PM Minor: 10:22p

PM Major: 4:09p

AM Minor: 10:51a

AM Major: 4:38a

PM Minor: 11:17p

PM Major: 5:04p

AM Minor: 11:44a

AM Major: 5:31a

PM Minor: -----

PM Major: 5:57p

+2.0

+1.0

0

-1.0

FEET FEET

+2.0

+1.0

0

-1.0

BEST:4:00 — 6:00 PM

BEST:5:00 — 7:00 PM

BEST:6:00 — 8:00 PM

BEST:3:00 — 5:00 PM

BEST:2:00 — 4:00 PM

BEST:1:30 — 3:30 PM

BEST:5:30 — 7:30 AM


TID

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Sunrise: 7:14a Set: 5:42pMoonrise: 11:52a Set: None







TIDE CORRECTION TABLE

Add or subtract the time shown at the rightof the Tide Stations on this table (and map) to determine the adjustment from the time shown for GALVES-

TON CHANNEL in the calendars.

KEY PLACE HIGH LOW

Sabine Bank Lighthouse -1:46 -1:31

Sabine Pass Jetty -1:26 -1:31

Sabine Pass -1:00 -1:15

Mesquite Pt, Sab. Pass -0:04 -0:25

Galveston Bay, S. Jetty -0:39 -1:05

Port Bolivar +0:14 -0:06

KEY PLACE HIGH LOW

Galveston Channel/Bays

Texas City Turning Basin +0:33 +0:41

Eagle Point +3:54 +4:15

Clear Lake +6:05 +6:40

Morgans Point +10:21 +5:19

Round Pt, Trinity Bay +10:39 +5:15

KEY PLACE HIGH LOW

Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay +5:48 +4:43

Gilchrist, East Bay +3:16 +4:18

Jamaica Beach, W. Bay +2:38 +3:31

Alligator Point, W. Bay +2:39 +2:33

Christmas Pt +2:32 +2:31

Galveston Pleasure Pier -1:06 -1:06

KEY PLACE HIGH LOW

San Luis Pass -0.09 -0.09

Freeport Harbor -0:44 -1:02

Pass Cavallo 0:00 -1:20

Aransas Pass -0:03 -1:31

Padre Island (So. End) -0:24 -1:45

Port Isabel +1:02 -0:42

T1

T2

T3

T4

T5

T6

T7

T8

T9

T10

T11

T12

T13

T14

T15

T16

T17

T18

T19

T20

T21

T22

T23

Moon Overhead: 8:43aMoon Overhead: 7:57a Moon Overhead: 9:31a Moon Overhead: 10:21a Moon Overhead: 11:13a

Moon Underfoot: 9:06p Moon Underfoot: 9:56p Moon Underfoot: 11:40p Moon Underfoot: None Moon Underfoot: 12:34aMoon Underfoot: 10:47pMoon Underfoot: 8:19p

Moon Overhead: 12:07p Moon Overhead: 1:02p

Moon Underfoot: 1:29a Moon Underfoot: 2:23a

Moon Overhead: 2:50p Moon Overhead: 3:43p Moon Overhead: 4:35p Moon Overhead: 5:27p Moon Overhead: 6:20p Moon Overhead: 7:13pMoon Overhead: 1:56p

Moon Underfoot: 6:46aMoon Underfoot: 5:01aMoon Underfoot: 4:09a Moon Underfoot: 5:54aMoon Underfoot: 3:16a



Sportsman’s DAYBOOK






Fishing Score Graph

Day’s BestScore

2ndBest


BEST:7:45-9:40 AM


18


19


20


21

Low Tide 8:10 AM -0.84 ftHigh Tide 4:24 PM 1.02 ftLow Tide 9:23 PM 0.80 ft

22 «


23 «


24 ¡


AM Minor: 12:08a

AM Major: 6:21a

PM Minor: 12:35p

PM Major: 6:48p

AM Minor: 12:57a

AM Major: 7:11a

PM Minor: 1:25p

PM Major: 7:38p

AM Minor: 1:46a

AM Major: 8:00a

PM Minor: 2:14p

PM Major: 8:28p

AM Minor: 2:35a

AM Major: 8:49a

PM Minor: 3:03p

PM Major: 9:16p

AM Minor: 3:25a

AM Major: 9:39a

PM Minor: 3:52p

PM Major: 10:06p

AM Minor: 4:16a

AM Major: 10:29a

PM Minor: 4:42p

PM Major: 10:55p

AM Minor: 5:07a

AM Major: 11:20a

PM Minor: 5:32p

PM Major: 11:50p

+2.0

+1.0

0

-1.0

FEET FEET

+2.0

+1.0

0

-1.0


SO

LU

NA

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IVIT

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LU

NA

R A

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TID

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Moon Underfoot: 7:40a Moon Underfoot: 8:35a Moon Underfoot: 9:30a

Moon Overhead: 10:52p Moon Overhead: 11:46p Moon Overhead: None


Moon Overhead: 12:37aMoon Overhead: 9:58p


Moon Overhead: 8:07p

Moon Underfoot: 11:19aMoon Underfoot: 10:25a

Moon Overhead: 9:02p

l = New Moon

º = First Quarter

l = Full Moon

» = Last Quarter

« = Good Day

n = Best Day

SYMBOL KEY



Sportsman’s DAYBOOK


BEST:11:00P — 1:00A

BEST:11:30 — 1:30A

BEST:12:00 — 2:00 AM

BEST:10:00P — 12:00A

BEST:9:00 — 11:00 PM

BEST:8:00 — 10:00 PM

BEST:7:00 — 9:00 PM



TID

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EV

EL

S


Fishing Score Graph

Day’s BestScore

2ndBest


BEST:7:45-9:40 AM


25 «


26 «

High Tide 4:18 AM 0.78 ftLow Tide 11:30 AM -0.43 ftHigh Tide 6:58 PM 0.82 ft

27


28


29


30


31 »


AM Minor: 5:58a

AM Major: -----

PM Minor: 6:22p

PM Major: 12:10p

AM Minor: 6:49a

AM Major: 12:38a

PM Minor: 7:12p

PM Major: 1:01p

AM Minor: 7:40a

AM Major: 1:29a

PM Minor: 8:02p

PM Major: 1:51p

AM Minor: 8:29a

AM Major: 2:18a

PM Minor: 8:50p

PM Major: 2:39p

AM Minor: 9:16a

AM Major: 3:06a

PM Minor: 9:38p

PM Major: 3:27p

AM Minor: 10:03a

AM Major: 3:52a

PM Minor: 10:24p

PM Major: 4:13p

AM Minor: 10:48a

AM Major: 4:37a

PM Minor: 11:10p

PM Major: 4:59p

+2.0

+1.0

0

-1.0

FEET FEET

+2.0

+1.0

0

-1.0


SO

LU

NA

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IVIT

YS

OL

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AR

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TIV

ITY

Sunrise: 7:08a Set: 5:55pMoonrise: 12:01a Set: 11:37a

Sunrise: 7:09a Set: 5:54pMoonrise: None Set: 11:01a






l = New Moon

º = First Quarter

l = Full Moon

» = Last Quarter

« = Good Day

n = Best Day

SYMBOL KEY

Moon Underfoot: 1:50p Moon Underfoot: 2:36p

Moon Overhead: 2:13a Moon Overhead: 2:58a Moon Overhead: 3:42a Moon Overhead: 4:25a Moon Overhead: 5:07a Moon Overhead: 5:51aMoon Overhead: 1:26a

Moon Underfoot: 6:13pMoon Underfoot: 4:46pMoon Underfoot: 4:03p Moon Underfoot: 5:29pMoon Underfoot: 3:20p

BEST:3:00 — 5:00 AM

BEST:4:00 — 6:00 AM

BEST:5:00 — 7:00 AM

BEST:2:00 — 4:00 AM

BEST:1:30 — 3:30 AM

BEST:1:00 — 3:00 AM

BEST:12:30 — 2:30 AM

12a6a 12p 6p 12a6a 12p 6p 12a6a 12p 6p 12a6a 12p 6p 12a6a 12p 6p 6a 12p 6p 12a 12a6a 12p 6p

TID

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12a


96 | J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E ® PHOTO: BRYAN SLAVENJ

Saltwater Lodge Grilled Oysters

OVER THANKSGIVING weekend I took my family down to Saltwater Lodge, a duck hunting and fi sherman’s retreat

located between Seadrift and Port O Con-ner Texas. If you are looking for a great place to entertain family or customers and want to have a private experience for up to 12 people, this is your place. Call Captain Scott Weiler at 832-335-0266 for booking and availability. www.saltwaterlodgetexas.com

This recipe will make appetizers for 10 to 12 people, or six if they are really hungry

Ingredients36 – fresh shucked oysters3 cups – freshly steamed or skillet-

cooked spinach, remove all liquid after cooking and set aside in a bowl

36 –12-inch x 12-inch pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil, folded twice into a square and then folded up on the edges to create a boat with ¾-inch high edges

2 – sticks of butter3 – teaspoons – olive oil2 – lemons- juiced3 to 4 lemons- cut into wedges ( save

for later)1 Cup – white wine, Sauvignon Blanc

or your choice3 to 4 tablespoons – freshly chopped

garlic, you can use powder if fresh is not on hand, in that case 2 teaspoons of powder

14 to 16 ounces – grated parmesan or an Italian mix of grated cheese

1.5 to 2 cups – fresh or pickled sliced jalapenos, more or less to your liking

2 teaspoons – Worcestershire sauce

2 pounds – crispy fried bacon, chopped coarsely

¾ cup – chopped fresh cilantro- (optional but I like it)

1 cup – thin-sliced green onions

Texas Gourmet’s Sidewinder Searing Spice

PreparationPreheat oven or

grill to 400 degrees For the sauce:In a sauce pot

combine the butter, olive oil, juice of 2 lemons, garlic, and Worcestershire Sauce , over medium high heat and allow butter to melt and come to a light boil, stir ingre-dients together and then remove from fi re

Making the appetizers• Add 2 teaspoons of the lemon wine

butter mixture to each boat• Place 2 to 3 teaspoons of cooked

spinach on foil and over the lemon wine and butter mixture

• Place 3 oysters in each boat to fi ll the bottom of the boat, (if really small oysters use 4 or 5 )

• Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of the chopped bacon

• Add 1 to 2 Teaspoons of green onion

• Add- 5 to 6 jalapeno slices• Add 2 to 3 teaspoons of grated Par-

mesan cheese• Add 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh

Cilantro• Season with Texas Gourmet’s Side-

winder Searing Spice• Spoon another 2 teaspoons of the

lemon, wine butter over the oyster boat mix• Place in the oven or on the grill and

cover• Cook for approx. 7 to 9 minutes or

until done• Serve with lemon wedges and a glass

of wine or beer and garlic bread.

Be sure and check out all of our prod-ucts and amazing recipes at www.texas-gourmet.com.

Email Bryan Slaven [email protected]

Texas TASTEDTexas Texas TASTEDTASTEDTexas TASTEDTASTEDTASTEDTASTEDTASTEDTASTEDTASTEDTASTEDTASTEDTASTEDTASTEDTexas Texas Texas Texas Texas Texas Texas Texas Texas Texas Texas by BRYAN SLAVEN :: The Texas Gourmet

Saltwater Lodge Grilled Oysters



LAKE AMISTAD

DFW METROPLEX

TEXAS FRESHWATER

UPPER TEXAS COAST

MIDDLE TEXAS COAST

TEXAS SALTWATER

LAKE TEXOMA

HUNTING

SOUTH TEXAS

HOUSTON BOAT SHOWJAN. 8-17, 2016

NOW AVAILABLEwww.FishandGameGear.com

NEW 2016 EDITION

AVAILABLE NOW.

NEW TF&G APP



REDFISH

GalvestonJason Moore of San Leon caught these trout in Galveston Bay. Both specks

were over seven pounds.

SPECKLED TROUT

East GalvestonBay

Six-year-old Devyn Ritter of Jersey Village with his personal best 21-inch speck, caught on East Galveston Bay while fi shing with Mom, Dad and his brother. He was using an artifi cial sea shad. His next trout was mauled by a four-foot shark.

REDFISH

Arroyo ColoradoNine-year-old Kassy Gon-zalez from Weslaco with her fi rst large redfi sh, caught with cut mullet on the Arroyo Colorado.

REDFISH

MatagordaJesse McKin-ley caught this 40-inch, 30-pound bull red while fi shing at Matagorda. He caught it on a chartreuse Rat-L-Trap.

BLACK DRUM

Port O’ConnorLiz Padon caught this nice black drum while fi shing at Port O’Connor.

CATFISH

McKinneyThirteen-year-old Chris-tian Pivarnik battled this nine-pound channel catfi sh with his brother Joey and their dad while fi shing a private pond in McKinney. He released the cat, which was his personal best.


No guaran-tee can be made as to when, or if, a submitted photo will be published.




MAIL TO: TFG PHOTOS1745 Greens Rd, Houston TX 77032NOTE: Print photos can not be returned.

EMAIL: [email protected] best results, send MED to HIGH quality JPEG digital fi les only, please.

REDFISH

MatagordaTen-year-old Aaron Aasletten caught this 8-plus-pound redfi sh while fi shing in Matagorda Bay last September.

REDFISH

MatagordaTy Kana, age 10, from Katy caught this red while fi shing with Captain Lee Warmke in Matago-rda.

WHITETAIL

VictoriaReed Kallus, age 11, with his fi rst deer on a hunt near Victo-ria. Reed was accompanied by his proud Pops (John Spears), uncle (Aaron Spears), and cousin (Holden Spears) on this trip.

FERAL HOG

Victoria CountyDanielle Rainosek shot this giant hog with her bow on a spot and stalk hunt in Victoria County. It was her fi rst animal

and fi rst year hunting.

SPECKLED TROUT

Baffi n BayHollie Land holds up four speckled trout caught while fi shing in Baffi n Bay.

CATFISH

DallasFour-year-old Jackson Culbertson caught this catfi sh at a pond in Dallas while fi shing with his great grandfather.


C3_Alumacraft .indd 3 12/9/15 3:38 PM

C4_Carolina Skiff.indd 4 12/7/15 6:55 PM

texas fish & game january 2016

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